John Denver sang, "Country roads, take me home, to the place, I belong."
Oh, how the Mocs wish that every road game could be like a home game.
The Mocs have not won on the road yet this year. Yes, they have put up some spirited fights on the road, but they have not won any of them.
Will this finally be the game where they snap out of it?
It's going to be a strange game. Ike Butts was suspended the first time the Mountaineers played the Mocs. Omar Wattad was out for the Mocs with an injury. That was Ricky Taylor's first game with a wrist injury that now seems to be doing much better. Dontay Hampton hit the game winning shot, and he is unlikely to play after taking a hard hit to the head against UNCG. Z Mason will be back for his first game in quite a while.
So, with all the moving parts, the first match-up can almost be thrown out the window for comparisons sake.
All that being said, the Mocs have been reeling, winning just three of eleven since their last meeting. The Mountaineers have won just four of eleven since that night in Chattanooga.
The Mountaineers are a strange team. Omar Carter and Ike Butts, popularly considered the Mountaineers two best players, do not start anymore. Carter has not scored in double digits since January 28. In the five games since then, he has averaged 5.2 points per game...and the Mountaineers have gone 1-4, with their lone win coming in the game he scored the most points during that stretch (eight against Furman). He played just 17 minutes in the two point loss to Wofford. That was not due to foul trouble either (he had no fouls). That's right- the preseason SoCon Player of the Year now is really struggling. He is still the team's leading scorer on the year with 12.1 points per game, but he has not been himself.
Since Butts came back from his suspension, he has averaged 6.6 points per game as the Mountaineers have gone 3-7. He's played over 17 minutes just three times since returning, after only playing seventeen minutes or fewer just once before the suspension. He also is averaging 4.8 rebounds per game, during that stretch, which is good, until you realize that most of that has been done in a handful of games. He has had one or two rebounds in four games since returning.
So who is playing well? Andre Williamson has scored ten points in each of the last two games, but had not scored in double digits for the four games prior to that. Mike Neal has scored 15 and 18 in the last two games, but he has only scored in double digits in three other SoCon games this year. Jamaal Trice is averaging in double figures, but has not scored in double figures in five games. Nathan Healy is averaging 11.0 points per game in the last five games. Tab Hamilton scored 22 against the Mocs in their last meeting, but in his last eleven games has not scored in double digits in eight of them. His high point output since that night is 11. His high point production other than the Mocs game for the year was when he scored 12 against Samford the Thursday before the Mocs game.
In other words, there are plenty of dangerous scorers, but none that are consistently playing well. Andrew Williamson is second in the SoCon in field goal percentage at 58.8% and fifth in rebounding at 7.0 per game. The Mountaineers are being outrebounded in conference games by just one per game.
Can the Mocs come up with the road win? Possibly. They will need to play solid defense, and hope that Burroughs and Mason are able to play at full force. The Mocs need to hit shots. They have not been hitting shots lately, particularly in key situations. This is huge game for the Mocs. Two wins this week would put the Mocs in fourth place and keep them within striking distance of Samford for the 3N.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. The Mocs are a better rebounding team than the Mountaineers. Can Butts and Williamson make a difference on the boards? Or will the return of Mason and Burroughs give the Mocs the edge inside with Drazen Zlovaric?
--Who cares less? Appalachian State looked completely disinterested in their blowout loss to Elon a week and a half ago. Since then, they have played much better. The Mocs have not shown any signs of quitting yet. If the Mocs still have an interest in playing, they can win this game. If Appalachian State comes out like they did against Elon, the Mocs could win by a lot. If they play like they are capable, it will be a tough hard fought game.
--Mason. How much impact does he have on a game?
--Wattad. When he was out against Appy, the Mocs did not have a huge scorer. Taylor played well, and Keegan Bell made a huge three. Can Wattad make a difference?
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Carter and Butts will play their best games in a while, combining for over 20 points.
--Mason will make a big difference inside, providing the Mocs some much needed presence in the paint.
--Wattad will make several big shots.
--Hamilton will not score 22 this time around.
--The game will be a low scoring war to the finish. Neither team will quit.
--Appalachian State 68, Mocs 67. The Mocs will have every opportunity to win at the end, but the Mountaineers will pull it out in the end. There is a sense that the Mocs are going to win a road game and pull off a road upset, but I'm not sure if they have it. I have a feeling that they can, but I can't pull my itchy trigger finger on it. Carter makes a big shot late to give the Mountaineers the win.
GO MOCS!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
SoCon Monster Game of the Week Preview: College of Charleston at UNCG
The Spartans snapped their eleven game losing streak in Charleston when they beat the Cougars 73-66 back on January 12. Since that time, UNCG has lost precisely one time. That was right in the middle of the Cougars going 4-9 in a thirteen game stretch, but the first loss that was truly perplexing of the bunch.
Now the Cougars have won three in a row, or (if you want to dip into the previously mentioned thirteen game stretch) four out of five, with the lone loss coming in double overtime at Elon. The Cougars find themselves just one game out of third in the South, and just one game up on Furman for fifth. So the Cougars need to keep on winning to put pressure on the Terriers and to maybe put some distance between themselves and Furman.
UNCG is up by one game on Elon for first place in the SoCon North, and up two games on Samford. With this game, a trip to Georgia Southern, a home game against Wofford, and a trip to Elon to finish off the year, nothing is guaranteed for these Spartans. They need to come up with wins to guarantee a bye, and try to put pressure on Elon to keep pace with them for first in the North.
The Spartans have had three of the last four Players of the Week. Derrell Armstrong has won two in a row a couple of weeks ago. He is averaging nearly twelve points per game. Armstrong is still coming off the bench. Trevis Simpson is the reigning Player of the Week. He leads the league with 18.1 points per game. He is fourth on the team in rebounding, averaging four per game. Armstrong is second on the team in rebounding with 4.4 per game. David Williams leads the team in rebounding with 5.2.
One of the more interesting Spartans is Drew Parker. He leads the league in three point shooting, making 51.4% from behind the arc. He only averages 5.1 points per game, so he is not a big scorer, but he is a dynamic shooter. He made three huge three pointers against Chattanooga on Saturday night, scoring nine points.
Another intriguing player is Aloysius Henry, who scored 10.5 points per game in the last four games. Henry has been playing much better, after a stretch where he really struggled. He is one of the Spartans most important players, in my opinion. If he continues playing well, he adds a whole extra dimension to the Spartans lineup. He is big, and a challenge for SoCon teams to handle at 6-10, 230 pounds.
Charleston is also a very dangerous team, despite all the injuries. In Saturday's upset of Davidson in Charleston, the Cougars played just eight players. One of those (Trevonte Dixon) played just three minutes. Andrew Lawrence, Trent Wiedeman, and Adejhi Baru are all battling injuries but playing through it.
Antwaine Wiggins played 39 minutes. He is still prone to taking ill-advised shots, but he scored 25 against Davidson, and leads the team in scoring with 16.5 points per game. Adejhi Baru, the super freshman, has been coming on, but he is still severely foul prone. He is averaging 8.3 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game. He has come one strong recently, and seems to be developing, but all his fouls are reason for concern. He's picked up four or more fouls in ten of 26 games this year.
Wiedeman is averaging 11.4 points per game, while getting 8.4 rebounds per game. He is second in the league in rebounding, behind just The Citadel's Mike Grosselle. Andrew Lawrence is averaging 13.5 points per game along with the team high (and second in the SoCon) 5.5 assists per game. Lawrence is what makes this team go, and his injury has to be a bit of a concern.
Here's a surprising stat for you- the Cougars lead the conference in field goal percentage defense. How many people do you think realize that around the SoCon? They are only 11th in the conference in shooting. They score plenty of points (third in the conference), but really win with solid defense that can lead to a lot points.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Foul trouble. Charleston is not deep, especially with all the injuries. They survived foul trouble against Davidson. Can they survive foul trouble on the road against the Spartans?
--Rebounding. The Spartans are the fourth best rebounding team in the league in rebounding, while the Cougars rank last in the SoCon in that. If the Cougars can keep that battle close, they will stay close in the game.
--Henry. He has been playing well lately for the Spartans. Can he keep it up? If he does, the Spartans are that much tougher to beat.
--Baru. He has been coming on strong. Can he stay out of foul trouble, stay on the floor, and continue to develop into the dominating force that he is capable of being?
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Simpson will score over 23 points yet again.
--Wiggins will score over 20 as well.
--Lawrence will not play as well as he could, because the injury will still be bugging him.
--UNCG 75, College of Charleston 70. The Spartans are playing so well right now. The Cougars are too. But the Spartans are at home and need this one even more than the Cougars. Should be a tremendous game that comes right down to the wire, with the Spartans pulling out the close win.
Now the Cougars have won three in a row, or (if you want to dip into the previously mentioned thirteen game stretch) four out of five, with the lone loss coming in double overtime at Elon. The Cougars find themselves just one game out of third in the South, and just one game up on Furman for fifth. So the Cougars need to keep on winning to put pressure on the Terriers and to maybe put some distance between themselves and Furman.
UNCG is up by one game on Elon for first place in the SoCon North, and up two games on Samford. With this game, a trip to Georgia Southern, a home game against Wofford, and a trip to Elon to finish off the year, nothing is guaranteed for these Spartans. They need to come up with wins to guarantee a bye, and try to put pressure on Elon to keep pace with them for first in the North.
The Spartans have had three of the last four Players of the Week. Derrell Armstrong has won two in a row a couple of weeks ago. He is averaging nearly twelve points per game. Armstrong is still coming off the bench. Trevis Simpson is the reigning Player of the Week. He leads the league with 18.1 points per game. He is fourth on the team in rebounding, averaging four per game. Armstrong is second on the team in rebounding with 4.4 per game. David Williams leads the team in rebounding with 5.2.
One of the more interesting Spartans is Drew Parker. He leads the league in three point shooting, making 51.4% from behind the arc. He only averages 5.1 points per game, so he is not a big scorer, but he is a dynamic shooter. He made three huge three pointers against Chattanooga on Saturday night, scoring nine points.
Another intriguing player is Aloysius Henry, who scored 10.5 points per game in the last four games. Henry has been playing much better, after a stretch where he really struggled. He is one of the Spartans most important players, in my opinion. If he continues playing well, he adds a whole extra dimension to the Spartans lineup. He is big, and a challenge for SoCon teams to handle at 6-10, 230 pounds.
Charleston is also a very dangerous team, despite all the injuries. In Saturday's upset of Davidson in Charleston, the Cougars played just eight players. One of those (Trevonte Dixon) played just three minutes. Andrew Lawrence, Trent Wiedeman, and Adejhi Baru are all battling injuries but playing through it.
Antwaine Wiggins played 39 minutes. He is still prone to taking ill-advised shots, but he scored 25 against Davidson, and leads the team in scoring with 16.5 points per game. Adejhi Baru, the super freshman, has been coming on, but he is still severely foul prone. He is averaging 8.3 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game. He has come one strong recently, and seems to be developing, but all his fouls are reason for concern. He's picked up four or more fouls in ten of 26 games this year.
Wiedeman is averaging 11.4 points per game, while getting 8.4 rebounds per game. He is second in the league in rebounding, behind just The Citadel's Mike Grosselle. Andrew Lawrence is averaging 13.5 points per game along with the team high (and second in the SoCon) 5.5 assists per game. Lawrence is what makes this team go, and his injury has to be a bit of a concern.
Here's a surprising stat for you- the Cougars lead the conference in field goal percentage defense. How many people do you think realize that around the SoCon? They are only 11th in the conference in shooting. They score plenty of points (third in the conference), but really win with solid defense that can lead to a lot points.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Foul trouble. Charleston is not deep, especially with all the injuries. They survived foul trouble against Davidson. Can they survive foul trouble on the road against the Spartans?
--Rebounding. The Spartans are the fourth best rebounding team in the league in rebounding, while the Cougars rank last in the SoCon in that. If the Cougars can keep that battle close, they will stay close in the game.
--Henry. He has been playing well lately for the Spartans. Can he keep it up? If he does, the Spartans are that much tougher to beat.
--Baru. He has been coming on strong. Can he stay out of foul trouble, stay on the floor, and continue to develop into the dominating force that he is capable of being?
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Simpson will score over 23 points yet again.
--Wiggins will score over 20 as well.
--Lawrence will not play as well as he could, because the injury will still be bugging him.
--UNCG 75, College of Charleston 70. The Spartans are playing so well right now. The Cougars are too. But the Spartans are at home and need this one even more than the Cougars. Should be a tremendous game that comes right down to the wire, with the Spartans pulling out the close win.
SoCon Fans is Back!
For those that do not know, there is a wonderful website called SoConFans. It is the home of the "If It Ended Today" bracket.
The person who runs it (a Mocs fan) has been in retirement for the last year and a half. By retirement, I mean that he was not updating the website. He has now started to run it again. I invite all of you to head over and check it out. Every SoCon Fan should do it. Check back often, because no one updates the bracket as quickly as SoConFans does....
Click here to go straight there.
The person who runs it (a Mocs fan) has been in retirement for the last year and a half. By retirement, I mean that he was not updating the website. He has now started to run it again. I invite all of you to head over and check it out. Every SoCon Fan should do it. Check back often, because no one updates the bracket as quickly as SoConFans does....
Click here to go straight there.
Double Dribbles-2-14-12
1) Elon's trip to Wofford is captivating. The Phoenix are in bad need of a win. They have fallen a game behind UNCG in the race for the number one overall seed in the North, which would be huge. They are the number two seed at this point. A loss could put them in danger of losing the bye altogether. Wofford is the current number three seed. They can get to the number two seed still, but could also fall to the number five seed if everything went wrong. So both teams need a win. Who can win in Spartanburg? Wofford is the favorite, but it's a huge game and no one can know where it is going for sure.
2) That balances the Cougars trip to visit UNCG. These two games will go a long way to determining the one and two seeds in the North along with the three and four seeds in the South. This is going to be a huge game for the Spartans. It will get the full focus on the blog tomorrow. The Spartans won in Charleston earlier in the year. Can UNCG possibly win again and really help themselves in getting a bye? Sure. Could the Cougars possibly win again and really help themselves in getting a higher seed in the South race.
2) That balances the Cougars trip to visit UNCG. These two games will go a long way to determining the one and two seeds in the North along with the three and four seeds in the South. This is going to be a huge game for the Spartans. It will get the full focus on the blog tomorrow. The Spartans won in Charleston earlier in the year. Can UNCG possibly win again and really help themselves in getting a bye? Sure. Could the Cougars possibly win again and really help themselves in getting a higher seed in the South race.
Monday, February 13, 2012
TV Deal? ESPN3? Hmmm....
What do we think of ESPN3?
ESPN3 is going to be available in nearly every household soon. The SoCon is thinking about going to get most of their games on ESPN3, so where does this leave the conference?
I think this is perfect for the SoCon. The conference is not in a position to hope for getting a bunch of television deals with many stations.
ESPN3 is growing. The SoCon is the most televised network already on ESPN3. If they can absolutely get most of their games on ESPN3, I think that's worth it. Sure, the internet is not the likely thing to scan through looking for games. But can you imagine if the SoCon had virtually every home conference game televised? A world where you could watch them play any game on archive whenever you wanted?
I know, I know. Most people aren't as obsessed with SoCon basketball as I am. I love watching all the games that I can find. It's something I really enjoy and try to do as much of as possible. The SoCon may be able to get in early on ESPN3 and get a decent deal before this really takes off.
This is the most forward thinking thing I have seen come out of the SoCon in a while. This looks like a decent idea. We'll have to see where things go from here.
GO MOCS!
ESPN3 is going to be available in nearly every household soon. The SoCon is thinking about going to get most of their games on ESPN3, so where does this leave the conference?
I think this is perfect for the SoCon. The conference is not in a position to hope for getting a bunch of television deals with many stations.
ESPN3 is growing. The SoCon is the most televised network already on ESPN3. If they can absolutely get most of their games on ESPN3, I think that's worth it. Sure, the internet is not the likely thing to scan through looking for games. But can you imagine if the SoCon had virtually every home conference game televised? A world where you could watch them play any game on archive whenever you wanted?
I know, I know. Most people aren't as obsessed with SoCon basketball as I am. I love watching all the games that I can find. It's something I really enjoy and try to do as much of as possible. The SoCon may be able to get in early on ESPN3 and get a decent deal before this really takes off.
This is the most forward thinking thing I have seen come out of the SoCon in a while. This looks like a decent idea. We'll have to see where things go from here.
GO MOCS!
Double Dribbles- 2-13-12
1) Call it Revenge Wednesday. Samford stunned Davidson in Alabama to hand the Wildcats their first SoCon loss. Now, the Bulldogs really need to get a win to keep pace in the North, but Davidson wants to avenge their first league loss. College of Charleston was beaten at home by UNCG, as the Spartans got their first SoCon win, and the Cougars were exposed as a team that was maybe not quite as good as we thought. Now, the Cougars, fresh off an upset of Davidson, heads to Greensboro to take on the Spartans in a key game. Appalachian State lost at Chattanooga on a last second Dontay Hampton shot. Can the Mountaineers get revenge in Boone, or will the Mocs come up with their first road win of the year? Yep- Revenge Wednesday sounds about right.
2) Georgia Southern is tough to figure. The Eagles hammered Wofford and have been playing well, but have taken three overtimes to take out The Citadel in their two match-ups this year. The Bulldogs keep on challenging the Eagles, who seem to show their immaturity when they take on The Citadel. The Eagles desperately need to avoid a first round game, so that they will be more well rested than their quarterfinal opponent, and it may actually help them to play teams that people think the Eagles will lose to. That seems to benefit them to play in a game that people expect them to struggle in.
2) Georgia Southern is tough to figure. The Eagles hammered Wofford and have been playing well, but have taken three overtimes to take out The Citadel in their two match-ups this year. The Bulldogs keep on challenging the Eagles, who seem to show their immaturity when they take on The Citadel. The Eagles desperately need to avoid a first round game, so that they will be more well rested than their quarterfinal opponent, and it may actually help them to play teams that people think the Eagles will lose to. That seems to benefit them to play in a game that people expect them to struggle in.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
UNC-Greensboro 77, Mocs 76
FOUR FACTORS (plus two)
eFG%
Mocs- 40.6%
UNCG- 51.7%
Advantage- UNCG
TO%
Mocs- 20.1%
UNCG- 18.8%
Advantage- UNCG
OR%
Mocs- 37.2%
UNCG- 22.9%
Advantage- Mocs
FTRate
Mocs- 46.9%
UNCG- 33.3%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 80.0%
UNCG- 75.0%
Advantage- Mocs
3PtRate
Mocs- 35.9%
UNCG- 41.7%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Drazen Zlovaric 34.6
2) Omar Wattad 22.4
3) Jahmal Burroughs 20.4
4) Ricky Taylor 19.5
5) Keegan Bell 12.1
6) Rico White 11.7
7) Dontay Hampton 2.6
8) Martynas Bareika 2.0
9) Jared Bryant 0.5
10) Drew Baker 0.0
11) Lance Stokes -0.4
Per 40
1) Drazen Zlovaric 44.7
2) Rico White 42.4
3) Omar Wattad 29.8
4) Jahmal Burroughs 27.2
5) Ricky Taylor 25.2
6) Dontay Hampton 20.8
7) Martynas Bareika 16.0
8) Keegan Bell 12.7
9) Jared Bryant 2.2
10) Drew Baker 0.0
11) Lance Stokes -2.0
ANALYSIS
The Mocs lost another one point game. Another heartbreaker. Another soul wrenching loss. How long can this go on?
Apparently for the whole season- at least for now. UNCG shot the ball very well from three point range. Truthfully, Trevis Simpson was the most impressive player I had seen all year. He scored 28 points in 26 minutes. He made fifty percent of his three pointers. Simpson was great- the rest of the team was good, but anything but great.
The Mocs did rebound extraordinarily well. They outrebounded UNCG by eight in this one. Burroughs had another great game. He kept the ball alive on rebounds, he fought for loose balls, and he scored ten points and had twelve rebounds. It was another great game for Burroughs. He really is a difference maker.
It's just that the difference maker wasn't enough tonight. They couldn't come up with the big stop. He couldn't come up with the offensive score in the final minute to put it away.
Dontay Hampton went down with an injury. It appeared to me to be a concussion and that he willl be out for a while. That is not good news for the Mocs, who continue to get pounded by injuries. Hampton is a solid contributor. The Mocs could use him healthy in the SoCon Tournament.
An important note here is that Zlovaric is one of he best players in the SoCon. He should be among the Top Five players in the SoCon next year. He is a dominant force. He should be this good every single night. As he continues to blossom, he needs to be a force in the SoCon Tournament.
The Mocs desperately need to get going. I don't know how the Mocs keep on not winning at the end, but they do it. They hopefully will start finidng the wins.
GO MOCS!
eFG%
Mocs- 40.6%
UNCG- 51.7%
Advantage- UNCG
TO%
Mocs- 20.1%
UNCG- 18.8%
Advantage- UNCG
OR%
Mocs- 37.2%
UNCG- 22.9%
Advantage- Mocs
FTRate
Mocs- 46.9%
UNCG- 33.3%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 80.0%
UNCG- 75.0%
Advantage- Mocs
3PtRate
Mocs- 35.9%
UNCG- 41.7%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Drazen Zlovaric 34.6
2) Omar Wattad 22.4
3) Jahmal Burroughs 20.4
4) Ricky Taylor 19.5
5) Keegan Bell 12.1
6) Rico White 11.7
7) Dontay Hampton 2.6
8) Martynas Bareika 2.0
9) Jared Bryant 0.5
10) Drew Baker 0.0
11) Lance Stokes -0.4
Per 40
1) Drazen Zlovaric 44.7
2) Rico White 42.4
3) Omar Wattad 29.8
4) Jahmal Burroughs 27.2
5) Ricky Taylor 25.2
6) Dontay Hampton 20.8
7) Martynas Bareika 16.0
8) Keegan Bell 12.7
9) Jared Bryant 2.2
10) Drew Baker 0.0
11) Lance Stokes -2.0
ANALYSIS
The Mocs lost another one point game. Another heartbreaker. Another soul wrenching loss. How long can this go on?
Apparently for the whole season- at least for now. UNCG shot the ball very well from three point range. Truthfully, Trevis Simpson was the most impressive player I had seen all year. He scored 28 points in 26 minutes. He made fifty percent of his three pointers. Simpson was great- the rest of the team was good, but anything but great.
The Mocs did rebound extraordinarily well. They outrebounded UNCG by eight in this one. Burroughs had another great game. He kept the ball alive on rebounds, he fought for loose balls, and he scored ten points and had twelve rebounds. It was another great game for Burroughs. He really is a difference maker.
It's just that the difference maker wasn't enough tonight. They couldn't come up with the big stop. He couldn't come up with the offensive score in the final minute to put it away.
Dontay Hampton went down with an injury. It appeared to me to be a concussion and that he willl be out for a while. That is not good news for the Mocs, who continue to get pounded by injuries. Hampton is a solid contributor. The Mocs could use him healthy in the SoCon Tournament.
An important note here is that Zlovaric is one of he best players in the SoCon. He should be among the Top Five players in the SoCon next year. He is a dominant force. He should be this good every single night. As he continues to blossom, he needs to be a force in the SoCon Tournament.
The Mocs desperately need to get going. I don't know how the Mocs keep on not winning at the end, but they do it. They hopefully will start finidng the wins.
GO MOCS!
Scanning the SoCon- Week Fifteen
DavidsonCats- Davidson fan.
MocsMania- Chattanooga fan.
TheSportsArsenal- Citadel fan.
UNCGBasketballFan- UNC-Greensboro fan.
SCHEDULE
Wednesday
Samford at Davidson
College of Charleston at UNC-Greensboro
Elon at Wofford
Chattanooga at Appalachian State
Thursday
The Citadel at Western Carolina
Saturday
Western Carolina at Elon (SoCon Sports Network/ESPN3)
Furman at Samford
The Citadel at Chattanooga
UNC-Greensboro at Georgia Southern
Wichita State at Davidson (ESPN2) (BracketBusters)
Winthrop at Appalachian State (BracketBusters)
College of Charleston at Kent State (BracketBusters)
Wofford at Charleston Southern (BracketBusters)
POWER RANKINGS
1) Davidson 48 (4)
2) Georgia Southern 43
3) UNC-Greensboro 38
4) Wofford 36
5) Elon 34
6) College of Charleston 27
7) Samford 26
8) Furman 17
9) Appalachian State 15
10) Chattanooga 13
11) Western Carolina 12
12) The Citadel 4
QUESTIONS
Sum up your team.
DavidsonCats- This was another very successful week for the Wildcats. Got the huge home win over Wofford, jumped to a 30-8 lead at The Citadel, lost a tough one at CofC. The Wildcats are now 13-2 and have secured a bye. Brooks and Czerapowicz led the scoring for the Wildcats this week. The team gets a nice rest before the big game against Samford on Wednesday. We then step outside of conference play to host a superb Wichita State team on Saturday. After that, it is Elon, GSU and the tournament.
MocsMania- The Mocs win over Elon to break the losing streak at seven games was very good for the Mocs. Then came Saturday, and a return to so many of the things that went wrong during the losing streak- not coming up with the clutch basket, not coming up with the clutch defensive stop, not getting the loose balls at the right time, etc. The one point home loss, after blowing a double digit early lead, then coming back from a double digit second half deficit and taking a four point lead into the closing minutes really hurts. The team is close. But close isn't enough right now. A home against The Citadel awaits next Saturday. A road game at Appalachian State would be a great time for the Mocs to break their season long road losing streak.
TheSportsArsenal- The Citadel lost two more games this week, to Davidson and Georgia Southern. The loss to Davidson wasn't as horrific as the earlier meeting, thanks to a decent second-half performance. For the second time this season, the Bulldogs lost in overtime to the Eagles, not helped by the typically sketchy officiating on a SoCon Saturday and a flurry of second-half turnovers. The team is getting better, I suppose. It is still not winning games, however.
UNCGBasketballFan- UNCG won a pair of HUGE road games this weekend. I was very worried that the team could go winless on the trip and they did the exact opposite. Again, the team did it by the narrowest of margins (2 points at Samford, 1 points at UTC). I was very impressed with UNCG being able to withstand the "ambush game" at Chattanooga. The Mocs had a big crowd and made it one of their marque games. Plus, they punched the Spartans in the mouth hard at the start. However, G regrouped and responded several times to get the win. Trevis Simpson has been on an absolute tear. He is really making a hard push for SoCon POY. The next 3 Spartan games are going to be very interesting. G plays the middle of the South Division. They need to continue to win in order to make the season finale at Elon important.
Which game are you looking most forward to that does not involve your team?
DavidsonCats- Many of the games are interesting this week. A Mocs team that can't win on the road against a struggling Mountaineer team looks fun. CofC at UNCG looks good. I guess I'll go with UNCG at GSU on the 18th.
MocsMania- College of Charleston's trip to UNCG is the game I picked for this week. The Cougars are battling for third in the South, and the Spartans are fighting for first. Plus it's a great revenge game. Sounds like a great game to me.
TheSportsArsenal-Davidson gets a home game against Wichita State, but UNCG-Georgia Southern is more important in terms of teams fighting for conference tourney byes.
UNCGBasketballFan- Samford at Davidson will be interesting for a couple of reasons. First, Davidson wants revenge for the loss in Birmingham. Second, Davidson just lost in Charleston. Third, a Samford loss would put UNCG another step closer to picking up one of the North Division byes.
What do you think of playing a BracketBuster game right in the middle of the conference schedule? What about the idea of mid-majors beating up one another, and possibly keeping them out of NCAA bids at this point in the season? In other words, what are your thoughts on BracketBusters?
DavidsonCats- I love the Bracket Buster event. Through it, Davidson has gotten games with Winthrop, Presbyterian, Butler, and Wichita State. It is nice to have that guaranteed return game in the following season.
MocsMania- Personally, I love BracketBusters. People complain and say that it can knock teams out. It can. I don't really like that. But that being said, the SoCon needs help scheduling out of conference games. This provides two games a year (considering the return trip the following year). So, the SoCon needs to schedule the first set of conference games on Wednesday, and then make every team play in the BracketBuster on the Saturday, and not schedule any more conference games until the following Wednesday. This way, teams do not have a disadvantage of playing Thursday-Saturday-Monday/Tuesday potentially flying back and forth across the country. Do it the right way, I think every SoCon team should be forced to play in the BracketBuster. I love watching the BracketBusters as much as any day of college basketball all season long.
TheSportsArsenal- I'm not a fan of BracketBusters, and I am glad that my school is not a participant. The only value I see in it is if your school gets a game on TV. This year it works out for Davidson in that respect. However, very few teams get that lucky TV game. What BracketBusters seems to have done lately, in my opinion, is hurt teams that were hopeful of potential at-large bids, which is basically the opposite of what was originally intended. Another problem, of course, is it results in a home-or-away game for the next season that often isn't in a school's best interests. The start-and-stop aspect to the league season for participating teams isn't such a good thing, either.
UNCGBasketballFan- It's kind of hard to really buy into the idea that losing one of these games will "bust" a team out of the tournament. It does seem like a great idea to get a border line team a chance for a signature win (see: Murray State). Every year only 2 or 3 mid-major teams have a legit shot at an at-large bid. So, this series is more about giving mid-major programs national TV time. That's never a bad thing, regardless of what time of the year it's played.
How do you think the SoCon will perform this year in the BracketBusters?
DavidsonCats- I'd love to see the Southern get a split this year. 1-3 looks more likely. I'm really hoping that we'll win the two games against the Big South teams.
MocsMania- I believe that a split would be good for the SoCon. Wofford could beat Charleston Southern, Appalachian State (if engaged) should beat Winthrop, and it would not surprise me in the least if Davidson beats Wichita State. College of Charleston could beat Kent State if they keep on playing like they have recently. I'd say Appy wins, and Davidson wins, and either Wofford or CofC wins for 3-1, which would shock virtually everyone.
UNCGBasketballFan- This is a pretty tough draw for the participating SoCon schools. I think all 4 are "toss up" games at best. If the SoCon can get a split, I think it'll be a good performance.
What role do you believe that blogs and message boards play in a basketball program? What role should they play? Is their role too big or too small?
DavidsonCats- The best thing that the Davidson board has done is to keep distant fans tied in to the program. Passionate fans need a central place to follow the action, celebrate the successes, and vent about the failures. The boards provide this central place. Some people (coaches, players, administrators) should avoid the boards. We are fan sites.
MocsMania- Oh, the million dollar question. I do believe that there is plenty of negativity on message boards, and that is OK. They are for honest discussion. Coaches and players should do everything they can to avoid the message boards, because they serve no good purpose for them. I think their roles have become too big in many cases, because many of the questions that get asked of the coaches and players are driven by the blogs and message boards.
TheSportsArsenal- I know there are people who say that recruits read message boards, etc., and that negative posts can impact recruiting, and I suppose the case could be made that blogs have an effect as well. I'm a bit dubious about all that, at least with regards to schools in the SoCon. There really aren't that many fans on those forums. At any rate, it seems to me that these days players/recruits are more likely to be directly engaged via twitter than message board or blog posts. Blogs really shouldn't play any role in how a basketball program operates -- with the exception of my blog, of course. Alas, I do not believe the denizens of the hoops program hang on every word I type. For shame, for shame.
UNCGBasketballFan- I could probably write a book on this subject. Obviously, UNCG fans have had some first hand experiences with this exact question this year. I think that there is always a line that the message board/blogger fans flirt with between being critical and just being mean. These players are just kids that have a lot on their plate and we (me included) forget that sometimes. However, I think these sites all serve a great purpose. They allow fans to meet and interact regardless of the university/fanbase size. So, in that respect, I think these sites should be embraced by the school for the impact they have on the program and the "buzz" they can generate.
MocsMania- Chattanooga fan.
TheSportsArsenal- Citadel fan.
UNCGBasketballFan- UNC-Greensboro fan.
SCHEDULE
Wednesday
Samford at Davidson
College of Charleston at UNC-Greensboro
Elon at Wofford
Chattanooga at Appalachian State
Thursday
The Citadel at Western Carolina
Saturday
Western Carolina at Elon (SoCon Sports Network/ESPN3)
Furman at Samford
The Citadel at Chattanooga
UNC-Greensboro at Georgia Southern
Wichita State at Davidson (ESPN2) (BracketBusters)
Winthrop at Appalachian State (BracketBusters)
College of Charleston at Kent State (BracketBusters)
Wofford at Charleston Southern (BracketBusters)
POWER RANKINGS
1) Davidson 48 (4)
2) Georgia Southern 43
3) UNC-Greensboro 38
4) Wofford 36
5) Elon 34
6) College of Charleston 27
7) Samford 26
8) Furman 17
9) Appalachian State 15
10) Chattanooga 13
11) Western Carolina 12
12) The Citadel 4
QUESTIONS
Sum up your team.
DavidsonCats- This was another very successful week for the Wildcats. Got the huge home win over Wofford, jumped to a 30-8 lead at The Citadel, lost a tough one at CofC. The Wildcats are now 13-2 and have secured a bye. Brooks and Czerapowicz led the scoring for the Wildcats this week. The team gets a nice rest before the big game against Samford on Wednesday. We then step outside of conference play to host a superb Wichita State team on Saturday. After that, it is Elon, GSU and the tournament.
MocsMania- The Mocs win over Elon to break the losing streak at seven games was very good for the Mocs. Then came Saturday, and a return to so many of the things that went wrong during the losing streak- not coming up with the clutch basket, not coming up with the clutch defensive stop, not getting the loose balls at the right time, etc. The one point home loss, after blowing a double digit early lead, then coming back from a double digit second half deficit and taking a four point lead into the closing minutes really hurts. The team is close. But close isn't enough right now. A home against The Citadel awaits next Saturday. A road game at Appalachian State would be a great time for the Mocs to break their season long road losing streak.
TheSportsArsenal- The Citadel lost two more games this week, to Davidson and Georgia Southern. The loss to Davidson wasn't as horrific as the earlier meeting, thanks to a decent second-half performance. For the second time this season, the Bulldogs lost in overtime to the Eagles, not helped by the typically sketchy officiating on a SoCon Saturday and a flurry of second-half turnovers. The team is getting better, I suppose. It is still not winning games, however.
UNCGBasketballFan- UNCG won a pair of HUGE road games this weekend. I was very worried that the team could go winless on the trip and they did the exact opposite. Again, the team did it by the narrowest of margins (2 points at Samford, 1 points at UTC). I was very impressed with UNCG being able to withstand the "ambush game" at Chattanooga. The Mocs had a big crowd and made it one of their marque games. Plus, they punched the Spartans in the mouth hard at the start. However, G regrouped and responded several times to get the win. Trevis Simpson has been on an absolute tear. He is really making a hard push for SoCon POY. The next 3 Spartan games are going to be very interesting. G plays the middle of the South Division. They need to continue to win in order to make the season finale at Elon important.
Which game are you looking most forward to that does not involve your team?
DavidsonCats- Many of the games are interesting this week. A Mocs team that can't win on the road against a struggling Mountaineer team looks fun. CofC at UNCG looks good. I guess I'll go with UNCG at GSU on the 18th.
MocsMania- College of Charleston's trip to UNCG is the game I picked for this week. The Cougars are battling for third in the South, and the Spartans are fighting for first. Plus it's a great revenge game. Sounds like a great game to me.
TheSportsArsenal-Davidson gets a home game against Wichita State, but UNCG-Georgia Southern is more important in terms of teams fighting for conference tourney byes.
UNCGBasketballFan- Samford at Davidson will be interesting for a couple of reasons. First, Davidson wants revenge for the loss in Birmingham. Second, Davidson just lost in Charleston. Third, a Samford loss would put UNCG another step closer to picking up one of the North Division byes.
What do you think of playing a BracketBuster game right in the middle of the conference schedule? What about the idea of mid-majors beating up one another, and possibly keeping them out of NCAA bids at this point in the season? In other words, what are your thoughts on BracketBusters?
DavidsonCats- I love the Bracket Buster event. Through it, Davidson has gotten games with Winthrop, Presbyterian, Butler, and Wichita State. It is nice to have that guaranteed return game in the following season.
MocsMania- Personally, I love BracketBusters. People complain and say that it can knock teams out. It can. I don't really like that. But that being said, the SoCon needs help scheduling out of conference games. This provides two games a year (considering the return trip the following year). So, the SoCon needs to schedule the first set of conference games on Wednesday, and then make every team play in the BracketBuster on the Saturday, and not schedule any more conference games until the following Wednesday. This way, teams do not have a disadvantage of playing Thursday-Saturday-Monday/Tuesday potentially flying back and forth across the country. Do it the right way, I think every SoCon team should be forced to play in the BracketBuster. I love watching the BracketBusters as much as any day of college basketball all season long.
TheSportsArsenal- I'm not a fan of BracketBusters, and I am glad that my school is not a participant. The only value I see in it is if your school gets a game on TV. This year it works out for Davidson in that respect. However, very few teams get that lucky TV game. What BracketBusters seems to have done lately, in my opinion, is hurt teams that were hopeful of potential at-large bids, which is basically the opposite of what was originally intended. Another problem, of course, is it results in a home-or-away game for the next season that often isn't in a school's best interests. The start-and-stop aspect to the league season for participating teams isn't such a good thing, either.
UNCGBasketballFan- It's kind of hard to really buy into the idea that losing one of these games will "bust" a team out of the tournament. It does seem like a great idea to get a border line team a chance for a signature win (see: Murray State). Every year only 2 or 3 mid-major teams have a legit shot at an at-large bid. So, this series is more about giving mid-major programs national TV time. That's never a bad thing, regardless of what time of the year it's played.
How do you think the SoCon will perform this year in the BracketBusters?
DavidsonCats- I'd love to see the Southern get a split this year. 1-3 looks more likely. I'm really hoping that we'll win the two games against the Big South teams.
MocsMania- I believe that a split would be good for the SoCon. Wofford could beat Charleston Southern, Appalachian State (if engaged) should beat Winthrop, and it would not surprise me in the least if Davidson beats Wichita State. College of Charleston could beat Kent State if they keep on playing like they have recently. I'd say Appy wins, and Davidson wins, and either Wofford or CofC wins for 3-1, which would shock virtually everyone.
UNCGBasketballFan- This is a pretty tough draw for the participating SoCon schools. I think all 4 are "toss up" games at best. If the SoCon can get a split, I think it'll be a good performance.
What role do you believe that blogs and message boards play in a basketball program? What role should they play? Is their role too big or too small?
DavidsonCats- The best thing that the Davidson board has done is to keep distant fans tied in to the program. Passionate fans need a central place to follow the action, celebrate the successes, and vent about the failures. The boards provide this central place. Some people (coaches, players, administrators) should avoid the boards. We are fan sites.
MocsMania- Oh, the million dollar question. I do believe that there is plenty of negativity on message boards, and that is OK. They are for honest discussion. Coaches and players should do everything they can to avoid the message boards, because they serve no good purpose for them. I think their roles have become too big in many cases, because many of the questions that get asked of the coaches and players are driven by the blogs and message boards.
TheSportsArsenal- I know there are people who say that recruits read message boards, etc., and that negative posts can impact recruiting, and I suppose the case could be made that blogs have an effect as well. I'm a bit dubious about all that, at least with regards to schools in the SoCon. There really aren't that many fans on those forums. At any rate, it seems to me that these days players/recruits are more likely to be directly engaged via twitter than message board or blog posts. Blogs really shouldn't play any role in how a basketball program operates -- with the exception of my blog, of course. Alas, I do not believe the denizens of the hoops program hang on every word I type. For shame, for shame.
UNCGBasketballFan- I could probably write a book on this subject. Obviously, UNCG fans have had some first hand experiences with this exact question this year. I think that there is always a line that the message board/blogger fans flirt with between being critical and just being mean. These players are just kids that have a lot on their plate and we (me included) forget that sometimes. However, I think these sites all serve a great purpose. They allow fans to meet and interact regardless of the university/fanbase size. So, in that respect, I think these sites should be embraced by the school for the impact they have on the program and the "buzz" they can generate.
SoCon Monster Game of the Week: College of Charleston at UNC-Greensboro
This week, the North race needs to start taking center stage- and it does. The problem is that Elon and UNCG have tough games this week and all of them are huge games. So which one should I pick?
Well, I eliminated Elon-WCU right off the bat because it was the least compelling of the four by far. Then I eliminated Georgia Southern-UNCG because it is on Saturday, and I am planning some special BracketBusters coverage for Saturday, and didn't want the extra game on there. So that left Elon's trip to Wofford and UNCG hosting CofC. Both games are big to both teams. CofC can catch Wofford for third with a win and a Wofford loss.
But the North division is in the Spartans hands. If they beat the Cougars while Wofford wins at home, they would be up by two full games on Elon, and Wofford would be up two games plus the tiebreaker on the Cougars, thus clinching no worse than the number three seed. If the Cougars win and Elon wins, the Phoenix would own the tiebreaker currently over UNCG and be tied, while the Cougars would move into a tie with the Terriers. It's actually a double-fisted set of big games. I went with the game where the North team was the home team. Should be a huge set of games.
Well, I eliminated Elon-WCU right off the bat because it was the least compelling of the four by far. Then I eliminated Georgia Southern-UNCG because it is on Saturday, and I am planning some special BracketBusters coverage for Saturday, and didn't want the extra game on there. So that left Elon's trip to Wofford and UNCG hosting CofC. Both games are big to both teams. CofC can catch Wofford for third with a win and a Wofford loss.
But the North division is in the Spartans hands. If they beat the Cougars while Wofford wins at home, they would be up by two full games on Elon, and Wofford would be up two games plus the tiebreaker on the Cougars, thus clinching no worse than the number three seed. If the Cougars win and Elon wins, the Phoenix would own the tiebreaker currently over UNCG and be tied, while the Cougars would move into a tie with the Terriers. It's actually a double-fisted set of big games. I went with the game where the North team was the home team. Should be a huge set of games.
Battle of North vs South- 2-11-12
Saturday's Scores
Wofford (S) 66
Appalachian State (N) 64
Western Carolina (N) 66
Furman (S) 80
at North
North- 9
South- 10
at South
North- 5
South- 13
Overall
North- 14
South- 23
ANALYSIS
The South is two tantalizing wins away from clinching the battle for this year. They can clinch in the midweek games. On Wednesday, Samford heads to Davidson in a revenge game for the Wildcats. Charleston heads to hot UNCG, in a revenge game for the Cougars. Elon heads to Wofford. If for some reason the South does not win two out of those three (and they will be favored in at least two of them), then the South could clinch when The Citadel goes to Western Carolina on Thursday night. Saturday would present three more chances for the South. There would be one the following Tuesday, one on Wednesday, and two more on Thursday. That will wrap up the battle. The North faces a major uphill battle here, and is likely to lose several more. This race is going to go pretty clearly to the South. Of course, the battle starts all over in the SoCon Tournament with a special postseason battle, that gets added on to the year totals. So things can still change, but the North has been a disappointment this year.
Wofford (S) 66
Appalachian State (N) 64
Western Carolina (N) 66
Furman (S) 80
at North
North- 9
South- 10
at South
North- 5
South- 13
Overall
North- 14
South- 23
ANALYSIS
The South is two tantalizing wins away from clinching the battle for this year. They can clinch in the midweek games. On Wednesday, Samford heads to Davidson in a revenge game for the Wildcats. Charleston heads to hot UNCG, in a revenge game for the Cougars. Elon heads to Wofford. If for some reason the South does not win two out of those three (and they will be favored in at least two of them), then the South could clinch when The Citadel goes to Western Carolina on Thursday night. Saturday would present three more chances for the South. There would be one the following Tuesday, one on Wednesday, and two more on Thursday. That will wrap up the battle. The North faces a major uphill battle here, and is likely to lose several more. This race is going to go pretty clearly to the South. Of course, the battle starts all over in the SoCon Tournament with a special postseason battle, that gets added on to the year totals. So things can still change, but the North has been a disappointment this year.
Friday, February 10, 2012
UNCG Preview: And We're Back in the Game....Barely
I remember a movie from my college days, that I watched quite frequently. Some of the crowd may remember it. It was called 10 Things I Hate About You. It starred several people who later became famous for other movies, including Julia Stiles, the late Heath Ledger, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. At one moment in the movie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character thinks that he has lost his chance at the girl he's after. Just she then kisses him and then runs off. He watches after her, in stunned silence, and then smiles and says, "And I'm back in the game!"
That's a little how I felt on Thursday night. (Opposite the teen hormones involved in the movie, of course.) The first thing I said when the game was over was, "And we're back in the game!" The Mocs are back in the race for third (and as someone pointed out on the Mocs message board today, technically even the second spot in the North). Can they get back to winning consistently? Are they really back in the game?
I would maintain yes- the Mocs are back in the game...barely. What better time for a blackout? The Mocs won their blackout game at home against Furman a year ago. The Mocs are looking for a similar result this time around at home against another team that is tied for first in the North against the Spartans. Can UNC-Greensboro come into McKenzie and pull off the win?
Yes. The Spartans can absolutely come in and win over the Mocs. They have won eight out of nine games, and are entertaining thoughts of advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001.
Back on January 19, Derrell Armstrong was just another player. Since that night, he has not been held to fewer than the 13 points he scored against Samford on Thursday night and had won two SoCon Player of the Week Awards. He's averaging 22.4 points per game over those last seven games, during which time the Spartans are 6-1. He's also averaging 6.8 rebounds per game during that time, along with three assists per game. He's shooting 47.7% from the floor. He's still not starting for the Spartans, but he is playing plenty of minutes. However, he has averaged 3.7 fouls per game during that same stretch.
It's probably no coincidence that Trevis Simpson has exploded as well during that stretch. He scored just five against the Mocs on January 19 and fouled out. In SoCon play, that is his lowest total by far- his next lowest point output is 12 against Western Carolina in December. In the six games since the Spartans last game against the Mocs, Simpson has averaged 23.5 points per game. He has scored no less than 23 in his last five games. Simpson has a chance to win SoCon Player of the Year. He has been that good. He is averaging 17.7 points per game. He's been brilliant.
The question for the Spartans is who else is going to score. Aloysius Henry has scored 11 points per game in the last three games and has averaged 6.7 rebounds per game in that time.
But when you look at season stats, seven players average between 4.8 points and 6.6 points per game. In other words, there may be no one player that lights it up consistently, but there are plenty of guys to be afraid of on this roster. Henry, Korey Van Dussen, Kyle Randall, David Williams, Nick Paulos, Aaron Brackett, and Drew Parker are those seven players. Which one of those is likely to go off on Saturday night and provide that third scorer that the Spartans need?
The Spartans like to play fast and frenetic. They play a little out of control. It serves them well, though it makes games real ugly to watch. The Mocs can fall into that rather easily. They like to play that pace. They are better served if they do not- particularly in this game. However, the odds seem to be that they will play that style of a game in this one, since that seems to be the style they most prefer to play, even if it is not the one most suited for them.
Z Mason is highly unlikely to play in this one. Jahmal Burroughs is back. We'll have to wait and see if he can play at the same level that he did on Thursday night in back-to-back games. Being without Mason changes the complexion of this game. The Mocs will not have the same advantage in the paint that they had the first time around. Drazen Zlovaric played well on Thursday night, and will need to continue that.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. The Mocs will struggle to have the edge on the glass in this one. They really just need to keep it respectable. The big thing will be giving up offensive rebounds in big moments- something that has plagued the Mocs all year long. If they can keep the Spartans off the offensive glass in critical moments, the Mocs can win.
--Hot shooting. Ricky Taylor and Omar Wattad were hot on Thursday night. They need to be hot again against the Spartans.
--Shutting down the third scorer. Look- it certainly true that Simpson and Armstrong can beat the Mocs between just the two of them scoring. But the Mocs best chance is to not let some one else go off for 20 points, while both of them score around 20. The better chance is to let them both go off for aound 25-30, and shut down everyone else.
--Keegan. Bell played well on Thursday, even though the stats didn't really show it. Can he show up and play as a floor leader? Can he score when and if he needs to?
--Zlovaric and Burroughs. Those two played well on Thursday night, especially Burroughs making all the little plays. Those two will have their work cut out for them on Saturday night. They need to step up.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Simpson will score around 30 points, while Armstrong will score about 20.
--Wattad and Taylor will score plenty as well.
--Burroughs will play at the same level of energy (even if the stat sheet doesn't show it) as he did on Thursday.
--Henry will be an X Factor- one way or the other.
--Mocs 77, UNC-Greensboro 76. Very tough one, but the Mocs pull it out. The Mocs will make just enough plays down the stretch, like they were doing back in early January when they were still healthy. Should be an absolutely tremendous game, and will put the Mocs back in place for a real shot at third in the North.
Check out UNCGBasketballFan for the preview by the Spartan fan. He always does a great job with his previews and with his blog in general. Worth checking out.
GO MOCS!
That's a little how I felt on Thursday night. (Opposite the teen hormones involved in the movie, of course.) The first thing I said when the game was over was, "And we're back in the game!" The Mocs are back in the race for third (and as someone pointed out on the Mocs message board today, technically even the second spot in the North). Can they get back to winning consistently? Are they really back in the game?
I would maintain yes- the Mocs are back in the game...barely. What better time for a blackout? The Mocs won their blackout game at home against Furman a year ago. The Mocs are looking for a similar result this time around at home against another team that is tied for first in the North against the Spartans. Can UNC-Greensboro come into McKenzie and pull off the win?
Yes. The Spartans can absolutely come in and win over the Mocs. They have won eight out of nine games, and are entertaining thoughts of advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001.
Back on January 19, Derrell Armstrong was just another player. Since that night, he has not been held to fewer than the 13 points he scored against Samford on Thursday night and had won two SoCon Player of the Week Awards. He's averaging 22.4 points per game over those last seven games, during which time the Spartans are 6-1. He's also averaging 6.8 rebounds per game during that time, along with three assists per game. He's shooting 47.7% from the floor. He's still not starting for the Spartans, but he is playing plenty of minutes. However, he has averaged 3.7 fouls per game during that same stretch.
It's probably no coincidence that Trevis Simpson has exploded as well during that stretch. He scored just five against the Mocs on January 19 and fouled out. In SoCon play, that is his lowest total by far- his next lowest point output is 12 against Western Carolina in December. In the six games since the Spartans last game against the Mocs, Simpson has averaged 23.5 points per game. He has scored no less than 23 in his last five games. Simpson has a chance to win SoCon Player of the Year. He has been that good. He is averaging 17.7 points per game. He's been brilliant.
The question for the Spartans is who else is going to score. Aloysius Henry has scored 11 points per game in the last three games and has averaged 6.7 rebounds per game in that time.
But when you look at season stats, seven players average between 4.8 points and 6.6 points per game. In other words, there may be no one player that lights it up consistently, but there are plenty of guys to be afraid of on this roster. Henry, Korey Van Dussen, Kyle Randall, David Williams, Nick Paulos, Aaron Brackett, and Drew Parker are those seven players. Which one of those is likely to go off on Saturday night and provide that third scorer that the Spartans need?
The Spartans like to play fast and frenetic. They play a little out of control. It serves them well, though it makes games real ugly to watch. The Mocs can fall into that rather easily. They like to play that pace. They are better served if they do not- particularly in this game. However, the odds seem to be that they will play that style of a game in this one, since that seems to be the style they most prefer to play, even if it is not the one most suited for them.
Z Mason is highly unlikely to play in this one. Jahmal Burroughs is back. We'll have to wait and see if he can play at the same level that he did on Thursday night in back-to-back games. Being without Mason changes the complexion of this game. The Mocs will not have the same advantage in the paint that they had the first time around. Drazen Zlovaric played well on Thursday night, and will need to continue that.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. The Mocs will struggle to have the edge on the glass in this one. They really just need to keep it respectable. The big thing will be giving up offensive rebounds in big moments- something that has plagued the Mocs all year long. If they can keep the Spartans off the offensive glass in critical moments, the Mocs can win.
--Hot shooting. Ricky Taylor and Omar Wattad were hot on Thursday night. They need to be hot again against the Spartans.
--Shutting down the third scorer. Look- it certainly true that Simpson and Armstrong can beat the Mocs between just the two of them scoring. But the Mocs best chance is to not let some one else go off for 20 points, while both of them score around 20. The better chance is to let them both go off for aound 25-30, and shut down everyone else.
--Keegan. Bell played well on Thursday, even though the stats didn't really show it. Can he show up and play as a floor leader? Can he score when and if he needs to?
--Zlovaric and Burroughs. Those two played well on Thursday night, especially Burroughs making all the little plays. Those two will have their work cut out for them on Saturday night. They need to step up.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Simpson will score around 30 points, while Armstrong will score about 20.
--Wattad and Taylor will score plenty as well.
--Burroughs will play at the same level of energy (even if the stat sheet doesn't show it) as he did on Thursday.
--Henry will be an X Factor- one way or the other.
--Mocs 77, UNC-Greensboro 76. Very tough one, but the Mocs pull it out. The Mocs will make just enough plays down the stretch, like they were doing back in early January when they were still healthy. Should be an absolutely tremendous game, and will put the Mocs back in place for a real shot at third in the North.
Check out UNCGBasketballFan for the preview by the Spartan fan. He always does a great job with his previews and with his blog in general. Worth checking out.
GO MOCS!
Double Dribbles- 2-10-12
1) Elon and UNCG remain in a tight battle for the North division title. The good news for Elon on a night they lost to the Mocs? UNCG beat Samford, which keeps them up two games on the third place Bulldogs before the Phoenix head down there on Saturday night. UNCG heads to Chattanooga to take on the Mocs on Saturday. This Southern Swing for Elon and UNCG was going to be huge- we knew that. But UNCG's road win at Samford coupled with Elon's loss to Chattanooga makes Saturday's games even bigger.
2) Is there a more interesting game Saturday than Wofford's trip to Appalachian State? The Mountaineers looked like they had quit on Monday night, but won at Furman on Thursday. Now they are just a half game out of third, and two and a half out of the bye. Wofford has lost three straight games and the Terriers are down two games for the bye as well, while up by just one game on College of Charleston for third. Which team shows up ready to play on Saturday night? Sure, Charleston hosting Davidson will get more headlines, and those two North battles are gigantic, but this game is absolutely positively intriguing to everyone around the SoCon.
2) Is there a more interesting game Saturday than Wofford's trip to Appalachian State? The Mountaineers looked like they had quit on Monday night, but won at Furman on Thursday. Now they are just a half game out of third, and two and a half out of the bye. Wofford has lost three straight games and the Terriers are down two games for the bye as well, while up by just one game on College of Charleston for third. Which team shows up ready to play on Saturday night? Sure, Charleston hosting Davidson will get more headlines, and those two North battles are gigantic, but this game is absolutely positively intriguing to everyone around the SoCon.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Mocs 83, Elon 75
FOUR FACTORS (plus two)
eFG%
Mocs- 58.2%
Elon- 50.8%
Advantage- Mocs
TO%
Mocs- 13.7%
Elon- 15.2%
Advantage- Mocs
OR%
Mocs- 35.3%
Elon- 37.5%
Advantage- Elon
FTRate
Mocs- 29.5%
Elon- 16.4%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 66.7%
Elon- 63.6%
Advantage- Mocs
3PtRate
Mocs- 39.3%
Elon- 44.8%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Omar Wattad 37.5
2) Ricky Taylor 31.8
3) Jahmal Burroughs 25.7
4) Drazen Zlovaric 24.8
5) Dontay Hampton 13.0
6) Rico White 9.9
7) Keegan Bell 6.1
8) Jared Bryant 1.4
9) Drew Baker 1.0
10) Lance Stokes -0.3
Per 40
1) Omar Wattad 55.6
2) Ricky Taylor 43.8
3) Jahmal Burroughs 42.8
4) Rico White 33.0
5) Drazen Zlovaric 30.1
6) Dontay Hampton 28.9
7) Drew Baker 10.0
8) Jared Bryant 8.0
9) Keegan Bell 7.2
10) Lance Stokes -1.0
ANALYSIS
What a nice win for the Mocs on Thursday night! It is such a relief to finally be celebrating a win again instead of yet another loss. There is plenty to talk about in this game, like how Ricky Taylor finally looked like himself again, or how Omar Wattad made a bunch of big shots, or how Jahmal Burroughs returned from injury and provided all the little plays that help win basketball games.
You could even talk about how unselfish Keegan Bell played, taking just one shot, but being in control of the game throughout and contributing as a coach on the floor without the stats coming his way.
But the question that everyone is wondering is if this is some kind of "turn the corner" game for the Mocs. The answer is, we just don't know. The Mocs certainly need to keep on winning. But let's look at some of the positives from this.
Omar Wattad looked like himself. His back did not appear to be bothering him tonight like it has for much of the year. Ricky Taylor's wrist finally looked back to normal, as he was clutch and knocked down several big shots. Jahmal Burroughs was back from his injury and playing the way that he had played before the injury. That leaves just Z Mason still out with injury. If Mason comes back, is there reason to think that this team, now that it is getting healthy, is actually a threat to win a bunch of games?
I'd say that there is reason to believe that. Let's not get completely carried away here. The Mocs still need to win games. They need to carry this slight kick start to momentum over to Saturday night against UNCG. They then need to take it to the road against Appalachian State and at home against The Citadel, and at Furman, and then finally at home against Samford. If the Mocs, by some minor miracle based on the way the previous weeks have gone, comes up with four wins in their final five games, could they get a three or four seed out of the North? It's still out there. They are down just two games on third in the North, and one and a half on fourth, with games against both Samford and Appalachian State ahead. There is still opportunity- they just need to keep on winning.
For tonight, this one win is enough. Getting hot the rest of the way could really help the Mocs in their quest to do some damage in the SoCon Tournament. With the team getting healthy and the contribution from those healthy players, that does not seem as far fetched as it did just yesterday.
GO MOCS!
eFG%
Mocs- 58.2%
Elon- 50.8%
Advantage- Mocs
TO%
Mocs- 13.7%
Elon- 15.2%
Advantage- Mocs
OR%
Mocs- 35.3%
Elon- 37.5%
Advantage- Elon
FTRate
Mocs- 29.5%
Elon- 16.4%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 66.7%
Elon- 63.6%
Advantage- Mocs
3PtRate
Mocs- 39.3%
Elon- 44.8%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Omar Wattad 37.5
2) Ricky Taylor 31.8
3) Jahmal Burroughs 25.7
4) Drazen Zlovaric 24.8
5) Dontay Hampton 13.0
6) Rico White 9.9
7) Keegan Bell 6.1
8) Jared Bryant 1.4
9) Drew Baker 1.0
10) Lance Stokes -0.3
Per 40
1) Omar Wattad 55.6
2) Ricky Taylor 43.8
3) Jahmal Burroughs 42.8
4) Rico White 33.0
5) Drazen Zlovaric 30.1
6) Dontay Hampton 28.9
7) Drew Baker 10.0
8) Jared Bryant 8.0
9) Keegan Bell 7.2
10) Lance Stokes -1.0
ANALYSIS
What a nice win for the Mocs on Thursday night! It is such a relief to finally be celebrating a win again instead of yet another loss. There is plenty to talk about in this game, like how Ricky Taylor finally looked like himself again, or how Omar Wattad made a bunch of big shots, or how Jahmal Burroughs returned from injury and provided all the little plays that help win basketball games.
You could even talk about how unselfish Keegan Bell played, taking just one shot, but being in control of the game throughout and contributing as a coach on the floor without the stats coming his way.
But the question that everyone is wondering is if this is some kind of "turn the corner" game for the Mocs. The answer is, we just don't know. The Mocs certainly need to keep on winning. But let's look at some of the positives from this.
Omar Wattad looked like himself. His back did not appear to be bothering him tonight like it has for much of the year. Ricky Taylor's wrist finally looked back to normal, as he was clutch and knocked down several big shots. Jahmal Burroughs was back from his injury and playing the way that he had played before the injury. That leaves just Z Mason still out with injury. If Mason comes back, is there reason to think that this team, now that it is getting healthy, is actually a threat to win a bunch of games?
I'd say that there is reason to believe that. Let's not get completely carried away here. The Mocs still need to win games. They need to carry this slight kick start to momentum over to Saturday night against UNCG. They then need to take it to the road against Appalachian State and at home against The Citadel, and at Furman, and then finally at home against Samford. If the Mocs, by some minor miracle based on the way the previous weeks have gone, comes up with four wins in their final five games, could they get a three or four seed out of the North? It's still out there. They are down just two games on third in the North, and one and a half on fourth, with games against both Samford and Appalachian State ahead. There is still opportunity- they just need to keep on winning.
For tonight, this one win is enough. Getting hot the rest of the way could really help the Mocs in their quest to do some damage in the SoCon Tournament. With the team getting healthy and the contribution from those healthy players, that does not seem as far fetched as it did just yesterday.
GO MOCS!
SoCon Monster Game of the Week Recap- Georgia Southern 63, Wofford 49
Willie Powers stole the show as the Eagles were able to take the huge two game lead in the battle for the bye in the South.
Powers scored 14, had seven rebounds, and six assists. Ferguson added 15 points and eleven rebounds. Ben Drayton III scored 13, while Jelani Hewitt scored just eight.
This was an important game for Georgia Southern. They won tonight with some solid defense. The Terriers shot a mere 40% from the floor and made just 3 of 16 (18.8%) from three point range. Kevin Giltner was held to just seven points.
This showed a new side of Georgia Southern- one that has been coming out slowly. The defense was very good tonight. Slowing down the Terriers was huge. They were not dominant on offense tonight, though they did play well enough on the offensive end.
The Eagles now have a two game lead in the division. With their last four games, they can still blow this lead. They go to The Citadel on Saturday night, then host UNCG, before heading to College of Charleston, and hosting Davidson. Their schedule could easily produce two or three losses. They could lose this lead. But with the way they are playing right now, they look good. Can the Terriers turn their slump around and start winning again to put some pressure on them?
Powers scored 14, had seven rebounds, and six assists. Ferguson added 15 points and eleven rebounds. Ben Drayton III scored 13, while Jelani Hewitt scored just eight.
This was an important game for Georgia Southern. They won tonight with some solid defense. The Terriers shot a mere 40% from the floor and made just 3 of 16 (18.8%) from three point range. Kevin Giltner was held to just seven points.
This showed a new side of Georgia Southern- one that has been coming out slowly. The defense was very good tonight. Slowing down the Terriers was huge. They were not dominant on offense tonight, though they did play well enough on the offensive end.
The Eagles now have a two game lead in the division. With their last four games, they can still blow this lead. They go to The Citadel on Saturday night, then host UNCG, before heading to College of Charleston, and hosting Davidson. Their schedule could easily produce two or three losses. They could lose this lead. But with the way they are playing right now, they look good. Can the Terriers turn their slump around and start winning again to put some pressure on them?
Battle of North vs. South- 2-9-12
Thursday's Scores
Appalachian State (N) 79
Furman (S) 69
Western Carolina (N) 58
College of Charleston (S) 62
at North
North- 9
South- 9
at South
North- 5
South- 12
Overall
North- 14
South- 21
ANALYSIS
The South is still in dominating position in this battle. They need to just win four of the remaining thirteen games between the two divisions to come up with the overall victory. The North, though, was not expected to really be competitive in either contest tonight. But Appalachian State came up with the win, and Western was in the game with Charleston all night. It was nearly a great night for the North that could have changed things a bit in the battle. In the end, it was just a slightly above average night for the North. The South still is in dominating position.
Appalachian State (N) 79
Furman (S) 69
Western Carolina (N) 58
College of Charleston (S) 62
at North
North- 9
South- 9
at South
North- 5
South- 12
Overall
North- 14
South- 21
ANALYSIS
The South is still in dominating position in this battle. They need to just win four of the remaining thirteen games between the two divisions to come up with the overall victory. The North, though, was not expected to really be competitive in either contest tonight. But Appalachian State came up with the win, and Western was in the game with Charleston all night. It was nearly a great night for the North that could have changed things a bit in the battle. In the end, it was just a slightly above average night for the North. The South still is in dominating position.
Double Dribbles- 2-9-12
1) The Battle for the North could be decided this weekend in a lot of ways. Both UNCG and Elon go to Samford and Chattanooga this weekend. The Mocs don't matter in this race, but the other three teams all matter. If Samford pulls off a sweep they can make real waves in the race, and jump into first. If any of those three teams gets swept this weekend, they could be in real trouble in the bye race for the North. This is a very interesting weekend in the North. Can't wait for the UNCG-Samford and Elon-Samford match-ups this weekend.
2) What about the race for third in the South? It's been popular opinion in recent weeks that either Georgia Southern or Wofford would get the second and third seeds in the South. What about if Wofford loses tonight? Furman hosts Appalachian State and Charleston hosts Western Carolina. With the way Appy and WCU have been performing, both home teams should win. That would put both the Paladins and the Cougars one game behind Wofford. Those results might change. But if the Terriers lose, and CofC and Furman win, this race gets really really interesting for the third seed in the South. Of course, the odds of all those results happening? Since I just said it in this little blurb- next to zero.
2) What about the race for third in the South? It's been popular opinion in recent weeks that either Georgia Southern or Wofford would get the second and third seeds in the South. What about if Wofford loses tonight? Furman hosts Appalachian State and Charleston hosts Western Carolina. With the way Appy and WCU have been performing, both home teams should win. That would put both the Paladins and the Cougars one game behind Wofford. Those results might change. But if the Terriers lose, and CofC and Furman win, this race gets really really interesting for the third seed in the South. Of course, the odds of all those results happening? Since I just said it in this little blurb- next to zero.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Elon Preview: Rising From Our Own Ashes?
In mythology, a phoenix lives for nearly 500 to 1000 years. At the end, they build themselves a nest, light the nest and themselves on fire, and then are reborn as a young phoenix.
The Mocs are trying to rise from their own ashes on Thursday night.
This season had promise as little as three and a half weeks ago when the Mocs sat at 9-9, 3-2 in SoCon play. They seemed to have turned a corner. Seven losses later, the season is on the brink. The Mocs have a final chance before the SoCon Tournament in Asheville to redeem this season. It is this homestand against Elon and UNCG, the current top two teams in the North.
In the sixteen games through the Phoenix trip to Charleston on January 14, Jack Isenbarger had played in fourteen games and scored in double digits seven times, averaging nine points per game. In the seven games since, he has scored in double digits seven more times, and averaged 21.4 points per game, all while scoring over 20 four times. He won SoCon Player of the Week last week, which ironically contained his worst outing during that stretch- an eleven point effort against Appalachian State on Monday night. He also scored 25 against The Citadel and 34 against Charleston. Isenbarger is also second on the team with 2.4 assists per game.
Freshman point guard Austin Hamilton has also done very good. He is averaging 3.2 assists per game. He was ill last weekend, and did not play in any of the last three games. He is expected to play on Thursday night. He is also scoring 10.8 points per game.
Lucas Troutman is the best inside presence for the Phoenix. He is second on the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game, and leads the team in rebounding with 5.9 rebounds per game. He is shooting 52% from the field for the year.
Troutman, Hamilton, Isenbarger, and Ryley Beaumont scored 75 points against the Mocs in the first meeting. The rest of the Phoenix scored just thirteen points. Beaumont scored 15 of those. That means that the big three that have been mentioned scored 60 of the 88 points.
The Mocs outrebounded the Phoenix the first time they met, and shot decently. It was just that they allowed Elon to shoot too well from the field. Omar Wattad scored 25, and Z Mason scored 18, while Ricky Taylor put home 17.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. Mocs got to get rebounds to be able to win.
--Health. Z Mason? Jahmal Burroughs? Will either one of these two be able to play on Thursday? Who knows at this point? The Mocs desperately need these guys back. If Austin Hamilton is not fully healthy, then the Phoenix could have a hard time as well.
--Isenbarger hot. Can he maintain his current hot streak in Chattanooga?
--Mocs Defense. Do the Mocs play defense at home? They have done a good job during the season so far playing well at home on defense.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--The Mocs will struggle badly on the boards again.
--Troutman has a big night this time around, and Isenbarger will too.
--Keegan Bell will ignite the offense.
--Ricky Taylor will continue his current struggles.
--Mocs 68, Elon 67. Wow. This is tough. I have no idea what happens here. This is going to be a brutally close game. Will the Mocs quit on this one? Maybe. You just don't know. This will be a huge game and will come right down to the wire.
GO MOCS!
The Mocs are trying to rise from their own ashes on Thursday night.
This season had promise as little as three and a half weeks ago when the Mocs sat at 9-9, 3-2 in SoCon play. They seemed to have turned a corner. Seven losses later, the season is on the brink. The Mocs have a final chance before the SoCon Tournament in Asheville to redeem this season. It is this homestand against Elon and UNCG, the current top two teams in the North.
In the sixteen games through the Phoenix trip to Charleston on January 14, Jack Isenbarger had played in fourteen games and scored in double digits seven times, averaging nine points per game. In the seven games since, he has scored in double digits seven more times, and averaged 21.4 points per game, all while scoring over 20 four times. He won SoCon Player of the Week last week, which ironically contained his worst outing during that stretch- an eleven point effort against Appalachian State on Monday night. He also scored 25 against The Citadel and 34 against Charleston. Isenbarger is also second on the team with 2.4 assists per game.
Freshman point guard Austin Hamilton has also done very good. He is averaging 3.2 assists per game. He was ill last weekend, and did not play in any of the last three games. He is expected to play on Thursday night. He is also scoring 10.8 points per game.
Lucas Troutman is the best inside presence for the Phoenix. He is second on the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game, and leads the team in rebounding with 5.9 rebounds per game. He is shooting 52% from the field for the year.
Troutman, Hamilton, Isenbarger, and Ryley Beaumont scored 75 points against the Mocs in the first meeting. The rest of the Phoenix scored just thirteen points. Beaumont scored 15 of those. That means that the big three that have been mentioned scored 60 of the 88 points.
The Mocs outrebounded the Phoenix the first time they met, and shot decently. It was just that they allowed Elon to shoot too well from the field. Omar Wattad scored 25, and Z Mason scored 18, while Ricky Taylor put home 17.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. Mocs got to get rebounds to be able to win.
--Health. Z Mason? Jahmal Burroughs? Will either one of these two be able to play on Thursday? Who knows at this point? The Mocs desperately need these guys back. If Austin Hamilton is not fully healthy, then the Phoenix could have a hard time as well.
--Isenbarger hot. Can he maintain his current hot streak in Chattanooga?
--Mocs Defense. Do the Mocs play defense at home? They have done a good job during the season so far playing well at home on defense.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--The Mocs will struggle badly on the boards again.
--Troutman has a big night this time around, and Isenbarger will too.
--Keegan Bell will ignite the offense.
--Ricky Taylor will continue his current struggles.
--Mocs 68, Elon 67. Wow. This is tough. I have no idea what happens here. This is going to be a brutally close game. Will the Mocs quit on this one? Maybe. You just don't know. This will be a huge game and will come right down to the wire.
GO MOCS!
SoCon Monster Game of the Week Preview- Wofford at Georgia Southern
It is an absolutely huge match-up in Statesboro. One of the biggest that the Eagles have played at home in a while. They have five out of six and are now up by one game over Wofford in the battle for second place in the SoCon South Division. A win over Wofford on Thursday would thrust them ahead by two games.
Eric Ferguson is averaging 15.4 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game so far this year. He's been tremendous, and is some people's choice for SoCon Player of the Year. He is shooting nearly 57% from the floor.
But the thing about these Eagles is that they are so well balanced. Charlton Young has been doing a good job recruiting and bringing talent into the program. The program has plenty of athletes- they sometimes just get out of control. They are getting more and more consistent.
Ben Drayton III, Jelani Hewitt, and Willie Powers are all in double figures in scoring. Powers has 5.6 assists per game. Powers is also second on the team in rebounding with 4.1 rebounds per game.
The Eagles are a tremendously gifted team, and have been very good at home. The lone loss during their previous six games has been at Samford. They are 8-1 at home on the year, with eight straight wins, and 6-0 in SoCon play.
Wofford had won six straight games before losing back to back games to Samford and Davidson. The Terriers rely heavily on Brad Loesing and Kevin Giltner, who play over 37 minutes per game apiece. Giltner averages 15.2 points per game. Loesing averages 14.6 points per game. Karl Cochran is a freshman who is averaging 11.5 points per game. Lee Skinner leads team with six rebounds per game and Drew Crowell is averaging 5.1 rebounds per game.
Loesing and his 5.5 assists per game. Both Loesing and Giltner could get All SoCon honors and Cochran could win Freshman of the Year. The Terriers have been tremendous this year.
The Terriers hammered Georgia Southern earlier this year. He scored 18 points with seven rebounds. Giltner scored 23. Loesing had 16 points and nine assists. Cochran scored in double figures with ten points. They also won on the glass, and only turned the ball over eight times.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Leadership from Loesing. He's such a solid leader, and to stop this two game slide the Terriers need Loesing to show up on the road as the team leader and do some things early to prove to his teammates that they can win.
--Ferguson. He's been brilliant, and he was the only Eagle to score over 7 in their last meeting with Wofford, when he scored 26. Can Skinner and Crowell hold him in check?
--Rebounding. Teams that rebound tend to win.
--Home court. Georgia Southern has been so good at home. Can they turn a 25 point road loss into a win?
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Ferguson will score over 20 again.
--Powers, Drayton, and Hewitt will chip in more this time around.
--Loesing and Giltner will make some big plays.
--No one else will make an impact, including Cochran.
--Georgia Southern 78, Wofford 73. The Eagles are playing well at home and are on a roll. Wofford is not on a roll right now. The Eagles will come up with the big home win and put two games between them and Terriers for the second bye spot from the South.
Eric Ferguson is averaging 15.4 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game so far this year. He's been tremendous, and is some people's choice for SoCon Player of the Year. He is shooting nearly 57% from the floor.
But the thing about these Eagles is that they are so well balanced. Charlton Young has been doing a good job recruiting and bringing talent into the program. The program has plenty of athletes- they sometimes just get out of control. They are getting more and more consistent.
Ben Drayton III, Jelani Hewitt, and Willie Powers are all in double figures in scoring. Powers has 5.6 assists per game. Powers is also second on the team in rebounding with 4.1 rebounds per game.
The Eagles are a tremendously gifted team, and have been very good at home. The lone loss during their previous six games has been at Samford. They are 8-1 at home on the year, with eight straight wins, and 6-0 in SoCon play.
Wofford had won six straight games before losing back to back games to Samford and Davidson. The Terriers rely heavily on Brad Loesing and Kevin Giltner, who play over 37 minutes per game apiece. Giltner averages 15.2 points per game. Loesing averages 14.6 points per game. Karl Cochran is a freshman who is averaging 11.5 points per game. Lee Skinner leads team with six rebounds per game and Drew Crowell is averaging 5.1 rebounds per game.
Loesing and his 5.5 assists per game. Both Loesing and Giltner could get All SoCon honors and Cochran could win Freshman of the Year. The Terriers have been tremendous this year.
The Terriers hammered Georgia Southern earlier this year. He scored 18 points with seven rebounds. Giltner scored 23. Loesing had 16 points and nine assists. Cochran scored in double figures with ten points. They also won on the glass, and only turned the ball over eight times.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Leadership from Loesing. He's such a solid leader, and to stop this two game slide the Terriers need Loesing to show up on the road as the team leader and do some things early to prove to his teammates that they can win.
--Ferguson. He's been brilliant, and he was the only Eagle to score over 7 in their last meeting with Wofford, when he scored 26. Can Skinner and Crowell hold him in check?
--Rebounding. Teams that rebound tend to win.
--Home court. Georgia Southern has been so good at home. Can they turn a 25 point road loss into a win?
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Ferguson will score over 20 again.
--Powers, Drayton, and Hewitt will chip in more this time around.
--Loesing and Giltner will make some big plays.
--No one else will make an impact, including Cochran.
--Georgia Southern 78, Wofford 73. The Eagles are playing well at home and are on a roll. Wofford is not on a roll right now. The Eagles will come up with the big home win and put two games between them and Terriers for the second bye spot from the South.
Double Dribbles- 2-8-12
1) Jack Isenbarger of Elon won the SoCon Player of the Week. He scored 23.3 points per game, and collected 4.7 rebounds per game, and 5.6 assists per game in the three games last week. He scored 34 against The Citadel, with 25 against Charleston. He is shooting 56% from the line. Early in the year, he suffered from a shoulder injury. Now, he's come back. Can Isenbarger carry the Phoenix all the way to a SoCon Tournament title? I think he can. Isenbarger getting hot makes the Phoenix a very touhg out for any team from here on out.
2) The best road team in the league is clearly Davidson, who is 7-4 on the road this year. The next best road team is Wofford. They are 5-7 on the road in overall play. The third best winning percentage on the road belongs to Furman at 5-8. That was the most surprising of the teams at the top of this list. The Paladins have been surprisingly good on the road. Sometimes this is a good omen for doing well in the tourney. Furman and their solid defense may be one of the darkhorses in Asheville.
2) The best road team in the league is clearly Davidson, who is 7-4 on the road this year. The next best road team is Wofford. They are 5-7 on the road in overall play. The third best winning percentage on the road belongs to Furman at 5-8. That was the most surprising of the teams at the top of this list. The Paladins have been surprisingly good on the road. Sometimes this is a good omen for doing well in the tourney. Furman and their solid defense may be one of the darkhorses in Asheville.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Close But No Cigar
The Mocs have been close, but no cigar this year.
So close and yet so far away.
Any sort of cliches you want to use to describe the Mocs are applicable here. The Mocs are desperate to get back on the winning track.
The good news- they've got every opportunity to do just that. This week, the Mocs play two home games against Elon and UNC-Greensboro. If the Mocs can come up with a couple of wins, they can get right back into the SoCon race- at least get back into the race for third or fourth. Appalachian State is fading fast and looks a little like they may have quit. Western Carolina is struggling- less than the Mocs, but still struggling. Could the Mocs pass both teams? Sure they could, if they can start winning. Could they catch Samford? Only if the Bulldogs don't pull off the sweep against UNCG and Elon. If the Bulldogs pull off that sweep and the Mocs pull off the sweep, they will be back in the race with UNCG for third. They'll be far behind, but not completely out of the race for third with UNCG or Elon.
It's time to start turning these close losses into wins. With home games against Elon, UNCG, The Citadel, and Samford and road games at Appalachian State and Furman left, there is no team left on the schedule that the Mocs can't beat if they play well. It's time to start playing well. If the Mocs win five out of six, I have every confidence that they can get to the four seed and possibly even the third seed.
This is the week that really tells us where the Mocs state of mind is. I've been saying it every week, and every week they keep on losing tough close games (other than Davidson). If the Mocs are still mentally in this thing, they can get back into it. Huge week for the Mocs.
GO MOCS!
So close and yet so far away.
Any sort of cliches you want to use to describe the Mocs are applicable here. The Mocs are desperate to get back on the winning track.
The good news- they've got every opportunity to do just that. This week, the Mocs play two home games against Elon and UNC-Greensboro. If the Mocs can come up with a couple of wins, they can get right back into the SoCon race- at least get back into the race for third or fourth. Appalachian State is fading fast and looks a little like they may have quit. Western Carolina is struggling- less than the Mocs, but still struggling. Could the Mocs pass both teams? Sure they could, if they can start winning. Could they catch Samford? Only if the Bulldogs don't pull off the sweep against UNCG and Elon. If the Bulldogs pull off that sweep and the Mocs pull off the sweep, they will be back in the race with UNCG for third. They'll be far behind, but not completely out of the race for third with UNCG or Elon.
It's time to start turning these close losses into wins. With home games against Elon, UNCG, The Citadel, and Samford and road games at Appalachian State and Furman left, there is no team left on the schedule that the Mocs can't beat if they play well. It's time to start playing well. If the Mocs win five out of six, I have every confidence that they can get to the four seed and possibly even the third seed.
This is the week that really tells us where the Mocs state of mind is. I've been saying it every week, and every week they keep on losing tough close games (other than Davidson). If the Mocs are still mentally in this thing, they can get back into it. Huge week for the Mocs.
GO MOCS!
Double Dribbles-2-7-12
1) Wow. How much is Appalachian State struggling? Get ready for this, because it will blow your mind. Ike Butts and Omar Carter combined for seven points against Elon on Monday night. Yes, the Omar Carter that averaged over 16 points per game last year and was the preseason SoCon Player of the Year this year. Butts was the reason people were high on the Mountaineers this year, because they thought his return would put them over the top combined with Carter. Now, neither are starting and they combined for seven points in a 23 point loss to Elon. For the Phoenix, they have probably turned into the favorite in the North, but their road trip against Samford and Chattanooga will go a long way to determining whether they can hold up that end of the deal or not.
2) Georgia Southern and Wofford are in a race for second and third that got a lot more interesting on Monday night. With the Eagles win over Furman, the Paladins are now three games behind Georgia Southern for second and two games behind Wofford for third. That means that the Eagles and Terriers are the only two with a real shot at getting the second bye from the South. If Wofford wins on Thursday, they will move into a tie with Georgia Southern, and will own the tiebreaker. If Georgia Southern wins, they will be up two games on Wofford with just five games to play. Thursday's game is massive.
2) Georgia Southern and Wofford are in a race for second and third that got a lot more interesting on Monday night. With the Eagles win over Furman, the Paladins are now three games behind Georgia Southern for second and two games behind Wofford for third. That means that the Eagles and Terriers are the only two with a real shot at getting the second bye from the South. If Wofford wins on Thursday, they will move into a tie with Georgia Southern, and will own the tiebreaker. If Georgia Southern wins, they will be up two games on Wofford with just five games to play. Thursday's game is massive.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Scanning the SoCon- Week Fourteen
Sorry for being a day late. The Super Bowl pushed some our contributors off until today. So thanks for sticking with us.
DavidsonCats- Davidson fan.
MocsMania- Chattanooga fan.
TheSportsArsenal- Citadel fan.
UNCGBasketballFan- UNC-Greensboro fan.
SCHEDULE
Monday
Appalachian State at Elon
Wofford at Davidson
Furman at Georgia Southern
Thursday
Wofford at Georgia Southern
Elon at Chattanooga
Appalachian State at Furman
Davidson at The Citadel
UNC-Greensboro at Samford
Western Carolina at College of Charleston (ESPN3)
Saturday
Wofford at Appalachian State
Davidson at College of Charleston (SoCon Sports Network/ESPN3)
Western Carolina at Furman
Elon at Samford
UNC-Greensboro at Chattanooga
Georgia Southern at The Citadel
POWER RANKINGS
1) Davidson 48 (4)
2) Wofford 44
3) Elon 37
4) Georgia Southern 35
5) UNC-Greensboro 33
6) Samford 23
7) Furman 22
8) College of Charleston 21
9) Appalachian State 20
10) Western Carolina 16
11) Chattanooga 9
12) The Citadel 4
QUESTIONS
Sum up your team.
DavidsonCats- The Wildcats had a very successful week with wins over Furman and Chattanooga. The team is now 11-1 and the Terriers and Eagles are both 8-4. The Wildcats are getting close to locking up the 1S. We've had some players miss practices because of injury, but the team is continuing to get excellent contributions from the bench. Chris Czerapowicz shot really well today and scored 21 points with 7 3-point plays (6 long shots and a traditional 3-pt play). This next week has three tough games for the 'Cats-- Wofford at home on Monday and then the Thursday/Saturday trip to the Lowcountry. 2-1 this week would probably guarantee a bye for the 'Cats.
MocsMania- The Mocs lost two more games this week. They are in a tailspin and now have their longest losing streak of the D1 era at seven games. Could they possibly get it going ever? If they are ever going to get it going again this year, it probably has to start working at some point this week when they host Elon and UNCG. They will play a big role in the SoCon North title chase this week. A couple of wins might even get them out of the cellar. They could get into third or fourth in the North by the end of the year if they start winning. They just need to start winning again. It hasn't happened yet.
TheSportsArsenal- The Citadel continues searching for a second league victory. The Bulldogs were competitive on the road in two games this past week, but ultimately couldn't put together 40 minutes of sustained good play to get a win. Mike Groselle was in foul trouble for a good portion of the game against Elon, which didn't help. That game may have been a missed opportunity for The Citadel. The Bulldogs get two chances to pick up a win at home this week. I don't like their chances against Davidson. The Bulldogs lost in double-OT at Georgia Southern, so the game on Saturday against the Eagles could be interesting.
UNCGBasketballFan- Well the thing about winning streaks is that they must eventually end. The Spartan's streak was stopped at 7. UNCG made relatively easy work of the Citadel on Thursday night to close up a 5 game homestand. However, Saturday afternoon's game in Greenville looked at lot similar to earlier SoCon road games. UNCG didn't shoot particularly well and wasn't as intense on the defensive end for all 40 minutes. As a result they fell to 2-4 on the road in league games. That's not a great sign for a team that finishes with 4 of it's last 6 games on the road. Trevis Simpson and Derrell Armstrong are still putting up tremendous numbers. This week, though, they got a lot of help for senior center Aloysius Henry. With UNCG and Elon taking the Chattanooga-Birmingham road swing this next weekend, the North Dision race should get a lot clearer, or muddier.
Which game are you most looking forward to this week that does not involve your team?
DavidsonCats- Easy. The Wofford at GSU game on Thursday. Getting a bye is crucial. This game should be a brawl.
MocsMania- I can't wait for Wofford to take a trip to Georgia Southern on Thursday night. The winner will be in the best shape for the two seed out of the South. We all know how important the bye is in the SoCon Tournament. One of these teams will be in good shape on Friday morning, and one will be chasing the other one. Which one is which? Can't wait to find out.
TheSportsArsenal- UNCG-Samford on Thursday is a big SoCon North game and probably a must-win for homestanding Samford if it entertains hopes of a first-round conference tourney bye. When the season began, Davidson-College of Charleston on Saturday was supposed to be a key game in the league; the Cougars need a big win to jump-start the post-Cremins era.
UNCGBasketballFan- Elon @ Samford. Coming from a fan of the third team in this 3-way North Division battle, I'm interested to see some UNCG seperate from at least one of these teams. Also, Samford has beat up on the South Division. Now it's time to see if they can beat a North Division team.
Which city would you like to host the SoCon Tournament? Why?
DavidsonCats- Asheville. It is the only city where the residents of the city really cared that the Southern had come to town. It'll take several years to rebuild some of the goodwill that we had there. Asheville is full of great restaurants, cool shopping, and a beautiful setting. And it isn't anyone's home city.
MocsMania- I am no fan of having a city hosting the tournament that is also the home city of one of its teams. That means no Chattanooga and no Charleston. That's a clear disadvantage to everyone else in the SoCon in the tournament. That also takes out Greensboro. I'd be OK with Charlotte, I suppose. So, clearly my top choice is Asheville. I think the city is a fairly nice middle ground. The city embraces the SoCon, or seems to. It looks like a good match- hope it works out.
TheSportsArsenal- I am fine with Asheville being a more-or-less permanent host city. It is convenient for most of the league. Also, no one will get a "home court" edge. I definitely do not like the league playing conference tournaments on one school's home court (a la Chattanooga). I hope we've seen the last of that.
UNCGBasketballFan- I'm very excited to see how things go in Asheville this season. It's one of the few locations I can get my wife to visit on her birthday weekend. However choosing form the previous host cities, I really liked Charlotte. Bojangles Arena was underwhelming, but I liked the location being central to the rest of the league. I must admit that I never was able to make it the Chattanooga. So, I could only compare Charleston, Charlotte and Greenville. I do wish the conference would take a hard look at Winston-Salem, most b/c I live in here.
Which team do you consider the biggest positive suprise in the conference this year? Why?
DavidsonCats- That's a tough one. I thought Wofford and Samford would both be dreadful this year. Wofford is tied for 2nd in the South and Samford is 3rd in the North. Both are playing some very good basketball. Excellent coaching for both. I guess I'll give the nod to Samford after their great road win today.
MocsMania- Wofford, Samford, and Elon all have been very surprising to me. Elon has been the least surprising. I expected them to be allright, but not better than at best third in the North. They are contending for first strongly. Wofford has won back-to-back division titles, but I picked them to finish a distant fourth this year. They are in solid position to finish second or third. But they still could finish fourth without too much of a fall off from here on out. That makes the clear favorite of the positive surprise to be Samford. They were clearly expected to be the worst team in the North, and maybe the worst team in the whole conference this year. They are now one solid week from getting into first place in the North.
TheSportsArsenal- The biggest positive surprise...not sure. UNCG is doing about what I thought it would do, albeit after a coaching change. Wofford is better than expected, but not overwhelmingly so.
UNCGBasketballFan- The Samfrord Bulldogs looked like the weakest team in the SoCon on paper. However, in the last few weeks, they have caught fire. In a North Division that seems to have teams take turns coming alive and then falling back down, Samford appears to be the current team on the rise. It'll be interesting to see where they end up finishing.
Which team do you consider the biggest disappointment in the conference this year? Why?
DavidsonCats- This one isn't hard. The Sporting News does my favorite preseason mag. This year they picked Omar Wattad and Keegan Bell on the 5-man All-Southern Team and said "The biggest challenge for Chattanooga is whether the Mocs can handle prosperity." Through injuries, controversy, drama, and a hot seat under the coach, the Mocs are winless on the road and all alone in 6th place in the North. They get a shot at the top two teams in the North this week and could win both games, but for now they have to be the biggest disappointment.
MocsMania- Of course, anybody with half of their eyesight could say the Mocs. They have been awful compared to what was expected of them. Their actual stats don't bear out that they've been that bad, but their won-loss record is downright awful. Just so I'm not jumping on my own team TOO hard, I'll throw out College of Charleston, Appalachian State, and Western Carolina as other disappointing teams. The Mountaineers just don't look right, even if their won-loss record hasn't been terrible. The Catamounts have been very disappointing. I thought they would be much better. The Cougars record doesn't completely surprise me, and when you throw in all the injuries and the coaching turmoil, it's hard to say that they have been that disappointing. But yes, the Mocs have been far more disappointing than any of these teams.
TheSportsArsenal- UTC is easily the biggest disappointment in the league. The Mocs were favored to win the SoCon North, and could conceivably finish last.
UNCGBasketballFan- Chattanooga was supposed to be one of the strongest teams in a North Division that was going to be competitive. Not seeing them in first palce isn't a tremendous shock. However, seeing them in last place is a shock. I'm not sure if it's coaching or chemistry, but something is definitely off in the scenic city. Unfortunately for John Shulman, the countdown on his time at UTC may have already started.
DavidsonCats- Davidson fan.
MocsMania- Chattanooga fan.
TheSportsArsenal- Citadel fan.
UNCGBasketballFan- UNC-Greensboro fan.
SCHEDULE
Monday
Appalachian State at Elon
Wofford at Davidson
Furman at Georgia Southern
Thursday
Wofford at Georgia Southern
Elon at Chattanooga
Appalachian State at Furman
Davidson at The Citadel
UNC-Greensboro at Samford
Western Carolina at College of Charleston (ESPN3)
Saturday
Wofford at Appalachian State
Davidson at College of Charleston (SoCon Sports Network/ESPN3)
Western Carolina at Furman
Elon at Samford
UNC-Greensboro at Chattanooga
Georgia Southern at The Citadel
POWER RANKINGS
1) Davidson 48 (4)
2) Wofford 44
3) Elon 37
4) Georgia Southern 35
5) UNC-Greensboro 33
6) Samford 23
7) Furman 22
8) College of Charleston 21
9) Appalachian State 20
10) Western Carolina 16
11) Chattanooga 9
12) The Citadel 4
QUESTIONS
Sum up your team.
DavidsonCats- The Wildcats had a very successful week with wins over Furman and Chattanooga. The team is now 11-1 and the Terriers and Eagles are both 8-4. The Wildcats are getting close to locking up the 1S. We've had some players miss practices because of injury, but the team is continuing to get excellent contributions from the bench. Chris Czerapowicz shot really well today and scored 21 points with 7 3-point plays (6 long shots and a traditional 3-pt play). This next week has three tough games for the 'Cats-- Wofford at home on Monday and then the Thursday/Saturday trip to the Lowcountry. 2-1 this week would probably guarantee a bye for the 'Cats.
MocsMania- The Mocs lost two more games this week. They are in a tailspin and now have their longest losing streak of the D1 era at seven games. Could they possibly get it going ever? If they are ever going to get it going again this year, it probably has to start working at some point this week when they host Elon and UNCG. They will play a big role in the SoCon North title chase this week. A couple of wins might even get them out of the cellar. They could get into third or fourth in the North by the end of the year if they start winning. They just need to start winning again. It hasn't happened yet.
TheSportsArsenal- The Citadel continues searching for a second league victory. The Bulldogs were competitive on the road in two games this past week, but ultimately couldn't put together 40 minutes of sustained good play to get a win. Mike Groselle was in foul trouble for a good portion of the game against Elon, which didn't help. That game may have been a missed opportunity for The Citadel. The Bulldogs get two chances to pick up a win at home this week. I don't like their chances against Davidson. The Bulldogs lost in double-OT at Georgia Southern, so the game on Saturday against the Eagles could be interesting.
UNCGBasketballFan- Well the thing about winning streaks is that they must eventually end. The Spartan's streak was stopped at 7. UNCG made relatively easy work of the Citadel on Thursday night to close up a 5 game homestand. However, Saturday afternoon's game in Greenville looked at lot similar to earlier SoCon road games. UNCG didn't shoot particularly well and wasn't as intense on the defensive end for all 40 minutes. As a result they fell to 2-4 on the road in league games. That's not a great sign for a team that finishes with 4 of it's last 6 games on the road. Trevis Simpson and Derrell Armstrong are still putting up tremendous numbers. This week, though, they got a lot of help for senior center Aloysius Henry. With UNCG and Elon taking the Chattanooga-Birmingham road swing this next weekend, the North Dision race should get a lot clearer, or muddier.
Which game are you most looking forward to this week that does not involve your team?
DavidsonCats- Easy. The Wofford at GSU game on Thursday. Getting a bye is crucial. This game should be a brawl.
MocsMania- I can't wait for Wofford to take a trip to Georgia Southern on Thursday night. The winner will be in the best shape for the two seed out of the South. We all know how important the bye is in the SoCon Tournament. One of these teams will be in good shape on Friday morning, and one will be chasing the other one. Which one is which? Can't wait to find out.
TheSportsArsenal- UNCG-Samford on Thursday is a big SoCon North game and probably a must-win for homestanding Samford if it entertains hopes of a first-round conference tourney bye. When the season began, Davidson-College of Charleston on Saturday was supposed to be a key game in the league; the Cougars need a big win to jump-start the post-Cremins era.
UNCGBasketballFan- Elon @ Samford. Coming from a fan of the third team in this 3-way North Division battle, I'm interested to see some UNCG seperate from at least one of these teams. Also, Samford has beat up on the South Division. Now it's time to see if they can beat a North Division team.
Which city would you like to host the SoCon Tournament? Why?
DavidsonCats- Asheville. It is the only city where the residents of the city really cared that the Southern had come to town. It'll take several years to rebuild some of the goodwill that we had there. Asheville is full of great restaurants, cool shopping, and a beautiful setting. And it isn't anyone's home city.
MocsMania- I am no fan of having a city hosting the tournament that is also the home city of one of its teams. That means no Chattanooga and no Charleston. That's a clear disadvantage to everyone else in the SoCon in the tournament. That also takes out Greensboro. I'd be OK with Charlotte, I suppose. So, clearly my top choice is Asheville. I think the city is a fairly nice middle ground. The city embraces the SoCon, or seems to. It looks like a good match- hope it works out.
TheSportsArsenal- I am fine with Asheville being a more-or-less permanent host city. It is convenient for most of the league. Also, no one will get a "home court" edge. I definitely do not like the league playing conference tournaments on one school's home court (a la Chattanooga). I hope we've seen the last of that.
UNCGBasketballFan- I'm very excited to see how things go in Asheville this season. It's one of the few locations I can get my wife to visit on her birthday weekend. However choosing form the previous host cities, I really liked Charlotte. Bojangles Arena was underwhelming, but I liked the location being central to the rest of the league. I must admit that I never was able to make it the Chattanooga. So, I could only compare Charleston, Charlotte and Greenville. I do wish the conference would take a hard look at Winston-Salem, most b/c I live in here.
Which team do you consider the biggest positive suprise in the conference this year? Why?
DavidsonCats- That's a tough one. I thought Wofford and Samford would both be dreadful this year. Wofford is tied for 2nd in the South and Samford is 3rd in the North. Both are playing some very good basketball. Excellent coaching for both. I guess I'll give the nod to Samford after their great road win today.
MocsMania- Wofford, Samford, and Elon all have been very surprising to me. Elon has been the least surprising. I expected them to be allright, but not better than at best third in the North. They are contending for first strongly. Wofford has won back-to-back division titles, but I picked them to finish a distant fourth this year. They are in solid position to finish second or third. But they still could finish fourth without too much of a fall off from here on out. That makes the clear favorite of the positive surprise to be Samford. They were clearly expected to be the worst team in the North, and maybe the worst team in the whole conference this year. They are now one solid week from getting into first place in the North.
TheSportsArsenal- The biggest positive surprise...not sure. UNCG is doing about what I thought it would do, albeit after a coaching change. Wofford is better than expected, but not overwhelmingly so.
UNCGBasketballFan- The Samfrord Bulldogs looked like the weakest team in the SoCon on paper. However, in the last few weeks, they have caught fire. In a North Division that seems to have teams take turns coming alive and then falling back down, Samford appears to be the current team on the rise. It'll be interesting to see where they end up finishing.
Which team do you consider the biggest disappointment in the conference this year? Why?
DavidsonCats- This one isn't hard. The Sporting News does my favorite preseason mag. This year they picked Omar Wattad and Keegan Bell on the 5-man All-Southern Team and said "The biggest challenge for Chattanooga is whether the Mocs can handle prosperity." Through injuries, controversy, drama, and a hot seat under the coach, the Mocs are winless on the road and all alone in 6th place in the North. They get a shot at the top two teams in the North this week and could win both games, but for now they have to be the biggest disappointment.
MocsMania- Of course, anybody with half of their eyesight could say the Mocs. They have been awful compared to what was expected of them. Their actual stats don't bear out that they've been that bad, but their won-loss record is downright awful. Just so I'm not jumping on my own team TOO hard, I'll throw out College of Charleston, Appalachian State, and Western Carolina as other disappointing teams. The Mountaineers just don't look right, even if their won-loss record hasn't been terrible. The Catamounts have been very disappointing. I thought they would be much better. The Cougars record doesn't completely surprise me, and when you throw in all the injuries and the coaching turmoil, it's hard to say that they have been that disappointing. But yes, the Mocs have been far more disappointing than any of these teams.
TheSportsArsenal- UTC is easily the biggest disappointment in the league. The Mocs were favored to win the SoCon North, and could conceivably finish last.
UNCGBasketballFan- Chattanooga was supposed to be one of the strongest teams in a North Division that was going to be competitive. Not seeing them in first palce isn't a tremendous shock. However, seeing them in last place is a shock. I'm not sure if it's coaching or chemistry, but something is definitely off in the scenic city. Unfortunately for John Shulman, the countdown on his time at UTC may have already started.
Double Dribbles-2-6-12
1) Georgia Southern and Wofford are fighting it out for the number two seed out of the South. Both have games on Monday night that will be huge. Wofford visits Davidson in what is clearly their toughest remaining battle. Georgia Southern hosts Furman. If Furman upsets the Eagles, and Davidson beats Wofford, the Paladins can close the gap down to just one game for a bye out of the South. What a huge day Monday will be. On Thursday night, Wofford visits Georgia Southern. This is huge four days for the South Division bye race behind Davidson. Massive couple of games tomorrow.
2) Samford's shocking upset of Wofford gave them wins over Davidson and Wofford in a span of eight days. Who saw that coming? Shocking. The Bulldogs suddenly are 6-6 in SoCon play and are in third all by themselves in the North, just one game behind UNCG for second, and one and a half behind Elon for first. They host both teams this weekend, as does Chattanooga. In other words, if Samford wins two games this weekend, they could be in first place by the end of the night Saturday night. Huh? Really? Unbelievable. The North race has been turned absolutely on its head. UNCG and Samford were given up for dead heading into January, and now both have risen to the top. Can they stay there? This is a big week for both teams.
2) Samford's shocking upset of Wofford gave them wins over Davidson and Wofford in a span of eight days. Who saw that coming? Shocking. The Bulldogs suddenly are 6-6 in SoCon play and are in third all by themselves in the North, just one game behind UNCG for second, and one and a half behind Elon for first. They host both teams this weekend, as does Chattanooga. In other words, if Samford wins two games this weekend, they could be in first place by the end of the night Saturday night. Huh? Really? Unbelievable. The North race has been turned absolutely on its head. UNCG and Samford were given up for dead heading into January, and now both have risen to the top. Can they stay there? This is a big week for both teams.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Scanning the SoCon Tomorrow
Scanning the SoCon should be up tomorrow! Sorry for the delay.
Hope every enjoyed Super Bowl XLVI!
Hope every enjoyed Super Bowl XLVI!
SoCon Monster Game of the Week- Wofford at Georgia Southern
Huge week for the second bye in the South race. Wofford and Georgia Southern are the two big favorites to get that spot at this point.
When they battle on Thursday night in Statesboro, second place will be on the line for these two teams. Wofford won by 25 points earlier this year at home. Can the Eagles get the home court advantage and make it work to their benefit in this game? Two wins (on Monday against Furman and Thursday against Georgia Southern) will go a long way to giving the Eagles the number two seed, which they desperately need to have a real shot in the tourney. Wofford also could use a bye, since no team that has ever won four games in four days. Huge game for these two teams on Thursday night.
When they battle on Thursday night in Statesboro, second place will be on the line for these two teams. Wofford won by 25 points earlier this year at home. Can the Eagles get the home court advantage and make it work to their benefit in this game? Two wins (on Monday against Furman and Thursday against Georgia Southern) will go a long way to giving the Eagles the number two seed, which they desperately need to have a real shot in the tourney. Wofford also could use a bye, since no team that has ever won four games in four days. Huge game for these two teams on Thursday night.
Davidson 88, Mocs 61
FOUR FACTORS (plus two)
eFG%
Mocs- 44.2%
Davidson- 61.4%
Advantage- Davidson
TO%
Mocs- 16.9%
Davidson- 18.4%
Advantage- Mocs
OR%
Mocs- 22.9%
Davidson- 42.4%
Advantage- Davidson
FTRate
Mocs- 40.4%
Davidson- 10.6%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 71.4%
Davidson- 100.0%
Advantage- Davidson
3PtRate
Mocs- 25.0%
Davidson- 60.6%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Drazen Zlovaric 22.5
2) Dontay Hampton 17.0
3) Omar Wattad 12.7
4) Ricky Taylor 9.8
5) Rico White 8.8
6) Drew Baker 7.8
7) Lance Stokes 6.3
8) Keegan Bell 4.9
9) Jared Bryant 4.5
10t) Martynas Bareika 0.0
10t) Trey Brown 0.9
Per 40
1) Drazen Zlovaric 31.0
2) Dontay Hampton 30.9
3) Drew Baker 28.2
4) Omar Wattad 20.2
5) Rico White 19.4
6) Jared Bryant 16.4
7) Lance Stokes 14.7
8) Ricky Taylor 14.5
9) Keegan Bell 5.4
10t) Martynas Bareika 0.0
10t) Trey Brown 0.0
ANALYSIS
This was certainly the worst overall performance by the Mocs this year. They lost by 27, more than they lost at Kentucky or at Indiana. This speaks very well for Davidson. They are a legitimate team that could go far if they get to the NCAA Tournament.
All that being said, the Mocs turned the ball over less than Davidson and also did a better job of getting to the free throw line. The Wildcats shot an exceptional number of three pointers, but they made a solid portion of them. They also collected fourteen offensive rebounds. It's important to note when discussing rebounding that the Mocs are still without Jahmal Burroughs and Z Mason. If they can get those guys back, that will make a huge difference in the rebounding category.
The good news for the Mocs was that Zlovaric played pretty well. That was good to see him show some signs of life. Keegan Bell again struggled as did Ricky Taylor. Is this team ever going to get everybody going at the same time? Can they get people healthy?
This is clearly a broken team. But a few wins, a few guys returning from injury, and who knows? This team has enough talent to do plenty of damage in Asheville. This game ended about how it should have been expected to- in a Davidson blowout. The Mocs two home games against UNCG and Elon next week will determine where this team goes from here. It would be really useful if Mason and Burroughs could be back by then.
GO MOCS!
eFG%
Mocs- 44.2%
Davidson- 61.4%
Advantage- Davidson
TO%
Mocs- 16.9%
Davidson- 18.4%
Advantage- Mocs
OR%
Mocs- 22.9%
Davidson- 42.4%
Advantage- Davidson
FTRate
Mocs- 40.4%
Davidson- 10.6%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 71.4%
Davidson- 100.0%
Advantage- Davidson
3PtRate
Mocs- 25.0%
Davidson- 60.6%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Drazen Zlovaric 22.5
2) Dontay Hampton 17.0
3) Omar Wattad 12.7
4) Ricky Taylor 9.8
5) Rico White 8.8
6) Drew Baker 7.8
7) Lance Stokes 6.3
8) Keegan Bell 4.9
9) Jared Bryant 4.5
10t) Martynas Bareika 0.0
10t) Trey Brown 0.9
Per 40
1) Drazen Zlovaric 31.0
2) Dontay Hampton 30.9
3) Drew Baker 28.2
4) Omar Wattad 20.2
5) Rico White 19.4
6) Jared Bryant 16.4
7) Lance Stokes 14.7
8) Ricky Taylor 14.5
9) Keegan Bell 5.4
10t) Martynas Bareika 0.0
10t) Trey Brown 0.0
ANALYSIS
This was certainly the worst overall performance by the Mocs this year. They lost by 27, more than they lost at Kentucky or at Indiana. This speaks very well for Davidson. They are a legitimate team that could go far if they get to the NCAA Tournament.
All that being said, the Mocs turned the ball over less than Davidson and also did a better job of getting to the free throw line. The Wildcats shot an exceptional number of three pointers, but they made a solid portion of them. They also collected fourteen offensive rebounds. It's important to note when discussing rebounding that the Mocs are still without Jahmal Burroughs and Z Mason. If they can get those guys back, that will make a huge difference in the rebounding category.
The good news for the Mocs was that Zlovaric played pretty well. That was good to see him show some signs of life. Keegan Bell again struggled as did Ricky Taylor. Is this team ever going to get everybody going at the same time? Can they get people healthy?
This is clearly a broken team. But a few wins, a few guys returning from injury, and who knows? This team has enough talent to do plenty of damage in Asheville. This game ended about how it should have been expected to- in a Davidson blowout. The Mocs two home games against UNCG and Elon next week will determine where this team goes from here. It would be really useful if Mason and Burroughs could be back by then.
GO MOCS!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Battle of North vs. South- 2-4-12
Saturday's Scores
Chattanooga (N) 61
Davidson (S) 88
College of Charleston (S) 74
Appalachian State (N) 62
Georgia Southern (S) 68
Western Carolina (N) 65
Samford (N) 66
Wofford (S) 61
OT
UNC-Greensboro (N) 85
Furman (S) 93
The Citadel (S) 66
Elon (N) 71
at North
North- 9
South- 9
at South
North- 4
South- 11
Overall
North- 13
South- 20
ANALYSIS
It was another strange night in the SoCon. On Thursday, I said that the North had one sure win. They got that. I said the the South had two sure wins- they only got one of those. The three toss-up games? All of those went to the South. The South now holds a commanding edge and is unlikely to blow it, but is really interesting that Samford has beaten Davidson and Wofford in the last eight days and has proven that they belong among the league's elite right now. This would have been an unheard of statement even three weeks ago. The South has this thing all but wrapped up, which is a bit of a surprise that they wrapped it up this early.
Chattanooga (N) 61
Davidson (S) 88
College of Charleston (S) 74
Appalachian State (N) 62
Georgia Southern (S) 68
Western Carolina (N) 65
Samford (N) 66
Wofford (S) 61
OT
UNC-Greensboro (N) 85
Furman (S) 93
The Citadel (S) 66
Elon (N) 71
at North
North- 9
South- 9
at South
North- 4
South- 11
Overall
North- 13
South- 20
ANALYSIS
It was another strange night in the SoCon. On Thursday, I said that the North had one sure win. They got that. I said the the South had two sure wins- they only got one of those. The three toss-up games? All of those went to the South. The South now holds a commanding edge and is unlikely to blow it, but is really interesting that Samford has beaten Davidson and Wofford in the last eight days and has proven that they belong among the league's elite right now. This would have been an unheard of statement even three weeks ago. The South has this thing all but wrapped up, which is a bit of a surprise that they wrapped it up this early.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Davidson Preview: Reality Bites
Davison beat Chattanooga by one the last time around. That was in Chattanooga in a controversial finish. Well, it was kind of controversial, except that virtually everyone agrees that the foul called with under a second left on the Mocs was indeed a foul. Refs have swallowed their whistles in that circumstance before, but maybe the karma from the Marshall game last year caught up to the Mocs. That was all well and good.
The losses by the Mocs to Georgia Southern and Western Carolina since then undid any good that was done that night. The Mocs have another shot at Davidson on the road on Saturday afternoon, but reality is that the Wildcats are the best team in the SoCon and have been nearly untouchable at home. They have beaten their five SoCon opponents by an average of 22.2 points per game. Not exactly the type of place the Mocs should expect to break their road losing streak.
The Mocs have played at Indiana and at Kentucky on the year, so they should not be intimidated. They played both early in the year when they were not playing as well as they are now, though they may have had more confidence then than they do now, strangely. The Mocs also lost both those games by 25.
Since the Mocs just played Davidson eight days ago (nine days on Saturday), it is hard to provide real analysis that should be earth shattering. The biggest difference in this game and the previous one is the Jahmal Burroughs and Z Mason, who scored a combined two points, and played a combined 28 minutes, are unlikely to play on Saturday afternoon. Burroughs was injured in the first match-up with Davidson, when he pulled a hamstring, and Mason showed real signs of his knee injury in the first one. So maybe their loss won't be as serious as it seems at first glance.
The biggest question is how the Mocs defense will respond. They have played so poorly on the road because of their defensive struggles on the road. Davidson's offense is one of the best in the country. They average 78.5 points per game and are 18th in the country in scoring. They were held to 64 in their one point win in Chattanooga.
The good news for the Mocs is that Keegan Bell is starting to play better. The bad news is that Ricky Taylor is really struggling at the moment, and Drazen Zlovaric has been struggling on the road.
An interesting stat regarding Davidson is that Jake Cohen and De'Mon Brooks are the two leading scorers, scoring 13.9 points per game and 15.4, respectively. Yet, the play just 24 minutes per game and 22.8 minutes per game. The two leading minutes players for the Wildcats are JP Kuhlman with 31.8 minutes per game and Nik Cochran with 28.1 minutes per game. That has been a surprising stat to me throughout the year as I have watched the stats develop. While Cohen and Brooks are the leading scorers and sometimes the best players, it seems like Kuhlman and Cochran are the glue. That is shown by their minutes, but it also looks like it is true when the Wildcats play.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. Davidson is a good rebounding team. The Mocs can't rebound as well without Burroughs and Mason. The Mocs just need to keep this close to have any shot at keeping this one close.
--Taylor and Zlovaric. They've been struggling so much. If they get hot, the Mocs can stick around in this one.
--Cohen and Brooks. The Mocs did a great job in their first game against them. Can the Wildcats come up with a way to get them active in the offense?
--Home court. Davidson has been great at home. Chattanooga has been awful on the road. Can the Mocs overcome that? Can the Wildcats play like they have at Belk Arena?
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Bell will continue his improved play from recent games.
--Zlovaric will continue his poor play from recent road contests.
--Davidson will dominate the glass.
--Davidson 87, Mocs 71. This will be the Wildcats closest home game in SoCon play yet. That doesn't mean that the Mocs will be able to win this one. Davidson just plays too well at home and the Mocs just play too poorly on the road to pull it off. That being said, the Mocs have been playing games close enough that Davidson will not totally blow them out. The real measuring stick for the Mocs will be next week's two home games against UNCG and Elon.
GO MOCS!
The losses by the Mocs to Georgia Southern and Western Carolina since then undid any good that was done that night. The Mocs have another shot at Davidson on the road on Saturday afternoon, but reality is that the Wildcats are the best team in the SoCon and have been nearly untouchable at home. They have beaten their five SoCon opponents by an average of 22.2 points per game. Not exactly the type of place the Mocs should expect to break their road losing streak.
The Mocs have played at Indiana and at Kentucky on the year, so they should not be intimidated. They played both early in the year when they were not playing as well as they are now, though they may have had more confidence then than they do now, strangely. The Mocs also lost both those games by 25.
Since the Mocs just played Davidson eight days ago (nine days on Saturday), it is hard to provide real analysis that should be earth shattering. The biggest difference in this game and the previous one is the Jahmal Burroughs and Z Mason, who scored a combined two points, and played a combined 28 minutes, are unlikely to play on Saturday afternoon. Burroughs was injured in the first match-up with Davidson, when he pulled a hamstring, and Mason showed real signs of his knee injury in the first one. So maybe their loss won't be as serious as it seems at first glance.
The biggest question is how the Mocs defense will respond. They have played so poorly on the road because of their defensive struggles on the road. Davidson's offense is one of the best in the country. They average 78.5 points per game and are 18th in the country in scoring. They were held to 64 in their one point win in Chattanooga.
The good news for the Mocs is that Keegan Bell is starting to play better. The bad news is that Ricky Taylor is really struggling at the moment, and Drazen Zlovaric has been struggling on the road.
An interesting stat regarding Davidson is that Jake Cohen and De'Mon Brooks are the two leading scorers, scoring 13.9 points per game and 15.4, respectively. Yet, the play just 24 minutes per game and 22.8 minutes per game. The two leading minutes players for the Wildcats are JP Kuhlman with 31.8 minutes per game and Nik Cochran with 28.1 minutes per game. That has been a surprising stat to me throughout the year as I have watched the stats develop. While Cohen and Brooks are the leading scorers and sometimes the best players, it seems like Kuhlman and Cochran are the glue. That is shown by their minutes, but it also looks like it is true when the Wildcats play.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. Davidson is a good rebounding team. The Mocs can't rebound as well without Burroughs and Mason. The Mocs just need to keep this close to have any shot at keeping this one close.
--Taylor and Zlovaric. They've been struggling so much. If they get hot, the Mocs can stick around in this one.
--Cohen and Brooks. The Mocs did a great job in their first game against them. Can the Wildcats come up with a way to get them active in the offense?
--Home court. Davidson has been great at home. Chattanooga has been awful on the road. Can the Mocs overcome that? Can the Wildcats play like they have at Belk Arena?
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Bell will continue his improved play from recent games.
--Zlovaric will continue his poor play from recent road contests.
--Davidson will dominate the glass.
--Davidson 87, Mocs 71. This will be the Wildcats closest home game in SoCon play yet. That doesn't mean that the Mocs will be able to win this one. Davidson just plays too well at home and the Mocs just play too poorly on the road to pull it off. That being said, the Mocs have been playing games close enough that Davidson will not totally blow them out. The real measuring stick for the Mocs will be next week's two home games against UNCG and Elon.
GO MOCS!
Double Dribbles- 2-3-12
1) Samford's comeback and survive game on the road at Appalachian State had to catch the eye of SoCon fans on Thursday night. Suddenly, the Bulldogs are 5-6 and tied with Appalachian State for third in the North. They are just 1.5 games behind Elon for a bye in the North race. This from a team that was left for dead not that long ago. The Bulldogs have fought and scrapped and made themselves at least an interesting team in the SoCon North. Tyler Hood scored eighteen points for Samford, while Omar Carter and Ike Butts are still coming off the bench for Appalachian State. Those two provided just eleven combined points. Can Samford get a bye? Maybe so. Things are certainly getting interesting in Alabama.
2) Larry Hunter collected win number 100 at Western Carolina in the Catamounts Thursday night win over the Mocs. It is another solid milestone for Hunter, who already won his 600th game of his career this year. The Catamounts have been struggling and there have been a few mutters from WCU fans that they may need to start looking a different direction in coaching. But this milestone shows what he has accomplished in Cullowhee. He has a losing record his career there, but they continue to be a well coached team. Congratulations to Coach Hunter!
2) Larry Hunter collected win number 100 at Western Carolina in the Catamounts Thursday night win over the Mocs. It is another solid milestone for Hunter, who already won his 600th game of his career this year. The Catamounts have been struggling and there have been a few mutters from WCU fans that they may need to start looking a different direction in coaching. But this milestone shows what he has accomplished in Cullowhee. He has a losing record his career there, but they continue to be a well coached team. Congratulations to Coach Hunter!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Western Carolina 82, Mocs 76
FOUR FACTORS (plus two)
eFG%
Mocs- 46.3%
Western Carolina- 51.5%
Advantage- Western Carolina
TO%
Mocs- 24.5%
Western Carolina- 15.5%
Advantage- Western Carolina
OR%
Mocs- 36.4%
Western Carolina- 38.6%
Advantage-Western Carolina
FTRate
Mocs- 64.8%
Western Carolina- 33.9%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 74.3%
Western Carolina- 68.2%
Advantage- Mocs
3PtRate
Mocs- 51.9%
Western Carolina- 63.1%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Keegan Bell 23.7
2) Lance Stokes 20.6
3) Omar Wattad 20.4
4) Jared Bryant 19.7
5) Dontay Hampton 16.5
6) Rico White 13.0
7) Ricky Taylor 4.1
8) Drazen Zlovaric 1.7
9) Martynas Bareika 1.2
10) Drew Baker -2.3
Per 40
1) Lance Stokes 45.7
2) Rico White 40.0
3) Jared Bryant 34.2
4) Dontay Hampton 31.4
5) Keegan Bell 25.0
6) Omar Wattad 24.0
7) Martynas Bareika 12.0
8) Ricky Taylor 7.8
9) Drazen Zlovaric 6.2
10) Drew Baker -5.4
ANALYSIS
Western Carolina used a dominant first 35 minutes of the game to hold off the Mocs on Thursday night. They were up 16 with just over five minutes left before the Mocs sliced the lead to four with about two minutes left and again with just over half a minute left.
Without Jahmal Burroughs or Z Mason again, the Mocs had to use a patchwork lineup again. Jared Bryant again showed that there is plenty to be very enthusiastic about in the coming years. Lance Stokes also played his best game as a Moc. He looked into the game on the defensive end, and consistently showed his athleticism and his offensive ability on that end of the floor. That being said, Drazen Zlovaric looked like a shell of himself. I wonder if there is an injury, because, regardless of how poor he was playing, there really is no reason to only play him eleven minutes in a game where there were this many injured bigs.
The biggest problem was Tawaski King. He was dominant on the boards, coming up with 14 including seven on the offensive end. The Mocs dominated the boards against Western Carolina in Chattanooga. I warned that if this was a close battle on the boards, that would be a very bad sign for the Mocs chances to win. Sure enough, the difference was one rebound in favor of the Mocs, and they were dominated for much of the night.
The thing that kept the Mocs in the game at all was that Western fell in love with the three when Keaton Cole and Brandon Boggs were hitting them in the first half. They wound up shooting well over 60% of their shots from three point range, and were not hitting them in the second half. This let the Mocs hang around and gave them the ability to make a run at the end to get into the game.
Ricky Taylor was held without a field goal. He is really struggling right now. Ironically, it looks like Keegan Bell has officially come out of his slump. He played a very good game on Thursday night.
Dontay Hampton and Rico White continued to show that they are going to be a solid duo next year when playing time opens up.
There is hope for next year. White, Hampton, Bryant, Mason, Zlovaric, and Stokes have all shown very good bright moments throughout this season. With Farrad Cobb coming in, he should be able to contribute immediately. Put those seven in a rotation and see what happens. I don't think the Mocs would be great, but they would be a contender in the SoCon.
As for the remainder of this year, things are starting to look bleak. The good news is that the team does not look completely broken yet. They fought back tonight when it would have been easy to give in. I was worried that the team's spirit would be broken. The first 35 minutes of this game did nothing to make me feel like they had not had their spirit broken. But the last five minutes, the Mocs fought back and showed a little spirit. Maybe they aren't broken. But at this point, just getting out of last in the North is going to be a major challenge. They are behind the Catamounts by one game, and the Mocs play Davidson on the road on Saturday night. Not a good place to be.
GO MOCS!
eFG%
Mocs- 46.3%
Western Carolina- 51.5%
Advantage- Western Carolina
TO%
Mocs- 24.5%
Western Carolina- 15.5%
Advantage- Western Carolina
OR%
Mocs- 36.4%
Western Carolina- 38.6%
Advantage-Western Carolina
FTRate
Mocs- 64.8%
Western Carolina- 33.9%
Advantage- Mocs
FT%
Mocs- 74.3%
Western Carolina- 68.2%
Advantage- Mocs
3PtRate
Mocs- 51.9%
Western Carolina- 63.1%
PLAYER RATER
Overall
1) Keegan Bell 23.7
2) Lance Stokes 20.6
3) Omar Wattad 20.4
4) Jared Bryant 19.7
5) Dontay Hampton 16.5
6) Rico White 13.0
7) Ricky Taylor 4.1
8) Drazen Zlovaric 1.7
9) Martynas Bareika 1.2
10) Drew Baker -2.3
Per 40
1) Lance Stokes 45.7
2) Rico White 40.0
3) Jared Bryant 34.2
4) Dontay Hampton 31.4
5) Keegan Bell 25.0
6) Omar Wattad 24.0
7) Martynas Bareika 12.0
8) Ricky Taylor 7.8
9) Drazen Zlovaric 6.2
10) Drew Baker -5.4
ANALYSIS
Western Carolina used a dominant first 35 minutes of the game to hold off the Mocs on Thursday night. They were up 16 with just over five minutes left before the Mocs sliced the lead to four with about two minutes left and again with just over half a minute left.
Without Jahmal Burroughs or Z Mason again, the Mocs had to use a patchwork lineup again. Jared Bryant again showed that there is plenty to be very enthusiastic about in the coming years. Lance Stokes also played his best game as a Moc. He looked into the game on the defensive end, and consistently showed his athleticism and his offensive ability on that end of the floor. That being said, Drazen Zlovaric looked like a shell of himself. I wonder if there is an injury, because, regardless of how poor he was playing, there really is no reason to only play him eleven minutes in a game where there were this many injured bigs.
The biggest problem was Tawaski King. He was dominant on the boards, coming up with 14 including seven on the offensive end. The Mocs dominated the boards against Western Carolina in Chattanooga. I warned that if this was a close battle on the boards, that would be a very bad sign for the Mocs chances to win. Sure enough, the difference was one rebound in favor of the Mocs, and they were dominated for much of the night.
The thing that kept the Mocs in the game at all was that Western fell in love with the three when Keaton Cole and Brandon Boggs were hitting them in the first half. They wound up shooting well over 60% of their shots from three point range, and were not hitting them in the second half. This let the Mocs hang around and gave them the ability to make a run at the end to get into the game.
Ricky Taylor was held without a field goal. He is really struggling right now. Ironically, it looks like Keegan Bell has officially come out of his slump. He played a very good game on Thursday night.
Dontay Hampton and Rico White continued to show that they are going to be a solid duo next year when playing time opens up.
There is hope for next year. White, Hampton, Bryant, Mason, Zlovaric, and Stokes have all shown very good bright moments throughout this season. With Farrad Cobb coming in, he should be able to contribute immediately. Put those seven in a rotation and see what happens. I don't think the Mocs would be great, but they would be a contender in the SoCon.
As for the remainder of this year, things are starting to look bleak. The good news is that the team does not look completely broken yet. They fought back tonight when it would have been easy to give in. I was worried that the team's spirit would be broken. The first 35 minutes of this game did nothing to make me feel like they had not had their spirit broken. But the last five minutes, the Mocs fought back and showed a little spirit. Maybe they aren't broken. But at this point, just getting out of last in the North is going to be a major challenge. They are behind the Catamounts by one game, and the Mocs play Davidson on the road on Saturday night. Not a good place to be.
GO MOCS!
Battle of North vs. South- 2-2-12
Thursday's Scores
College of Charleston (S) 98
Elon (N) 99
2 OT
The Citadel (S) 71
UNC-Greensboro (N) 82
at North
North- 8
South- 7
at South
North- 3
South- 9
Overall
North- 11
South- 16
ANALYSIS
In a very strange twist, Elon never trailed College of Charleston until the second overtime, and even lead by seven in the second overtime, only to see the Cougars have a chance to win it as time ran out. The Cougars fought tooth and nail to get the win, but couldn't get it done. In the end, Elon and UNCG both took home games for the North, cutting into the lead that the South has.
Technically, on Saturday the North has a chance to regain the lead, as there are six match-ups between the North and the South that day. But in two games, the North team will be a heavy underdog, as Chattanooga goes to Davidson and Samford goes to Wofford. In three others, it is at best a toss up as Charleston visits Appalachian State, Georgia Southern goes to Western Carolina, and UNCG heads to Furman. The only game that looks to be solidly in the North's favor is Elon will be hosting The Citadel. Should be a very interesting Saturday afternoon as the North tries to make things a little bit closer with the South in this battle, and the South tries to expand their lead.
College of Charleston (S) 98
Elon (N) 99
2 OT
The Citadel (S) 71
UNC-Greensboro (N) 82
at North
North- 8
South- 7
at South
North- 3
South- 9
Overall
North- 11
South- 16
ANALYSIS
In a very strange twist, Elon never trailed College of Charleston until the second overtime, and even lead by seven in the second overtime, only to see the Cougars have a chance to win it as time ran out. The Cougars fought tooth and nail to get the win, but couldn't get it done. In the end, Elon and UNCG both took home games for the North, cutting into the lead that the South has.
Technically, on Saturday the North has a chance to regain the lead, as there are six match-ups between the North and the South that day. But in two games, the North team will be a heavy underdog, as Chattanooga goes to Davidson and Samford goes to Wofford. In three others, it is at best a toss up as Charleston visits Appalachian State, Georgia Southern goes to Western Carolina, and UNCG heads to Furman. The only game that looks to be solidly in the North's favor is Elon will be hosting The Citadel. Should be a very interesting Saturday afternoon as the North tries to make things a little bit closer with the South in this battle, and the South tries to expand their lead.
Double Dribbles- 2-2-12
1) Furman finds themselves tied with Charleston for fourth in the South after a loss to Davidson on Wednesday night. Will the Cougars be able to pass them with a win over Elon on Thursday night? Should be interesting. Can the Paladins get back on track Saturday afternoon on the SoCon Saturday game at home against UNC-Greensboro? That is one of the must win games for the Spartans and the Paladins are in a similar situation. That game is shaping up as huge.
2) Samford goes to Wofford on Saturday and Appalachian State hosts College of Charleston. Both of these teams have tough games (and important games) on Saturday. Somehow, that makes the Samford-Appy game on Thursday night even bigger. The Bullldogs need a win to pull into a tie with Appalachian State. The Mountaineers beat Samford in January when Samford was struggling. Now, the Bulldogs are playing well and this would be a huge win for either one of these two teams. Appalachian State could move into second in the North with a win. Another big game between these two teams on Thursday night.
2) Samford goes to Wofford on Saturday and Appalachian State hosts College of Charleston. Both of these teams have tough games (and important games) on Saturday. Somehow, that makes the Samford-Appy game on Thursday night even bigger. The Bullldogs need a win to pull into a tie with Appalachian State. The Mountaineers beat Samford in January when Samford was struggling. Now, the Bulldogs are playing well and this would be a huge win for either one of these two teams. Appalachian State could move into second in the North with a win. Another big game between these two teams on Thursday night.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Western Carolina Preview: Any Life Left?
The Catamounts and Mocs are tied for fifth (or last) in the SoCon North race. Both teams are in the middle of long losing streaks. Only one can emerge from this game with some sense of hope.
The Mocs suffered a "dagger" or "stake to the heart" last Saturday night against Georgia Southern. Is there any life left in the Mocs at this point? Do they have anything left to put into the season?
They Catamounts have lost six straight games to D1 teams, and 8 of 9 against D1 competition. Can they get their act back together in time for this game?
So which team has anything left in the tank? Which team has life left in them? Which team is going to show up and get out of the cellar?
In the last six games, Trey Sumler has averaged 17.7 points per game, scoring 18 three times, 22 once, 17 once, and 13 in their most recent game. The problem is that during that time, Sumler has turned the ball over four times per game with just 3.3 assists per game. He is also avearaging 4.5 rebounds per game and two steals per game.
Harouna Mutombo is averaging 12.7 points per game for the year along with 5.8 rebounds per game. Mutombo is averaging just 10.2 points per game in the last ten games when the Catamounts have won just two games. If the 17 point performance against Davidson is taken out, Mutombo is scoring just 8.3 points per game in that nine game stretch.
Keaton Cole is averaging 11.3 points per game and Brandon Boggs is scoring 10.2 points per game. Tawaski King is second on the team in rebounding with 4.8 rebounds per game. The problem for the Catamounts is that they just don't rebound the ball well. They are not big on the inside. The Mocs totally dominated the boards in their first match-up. It also was the last game before Keegan Bell's slump started. He had eight points and twelve assists.
Omar Wattad is still battling through his back injury, while Ricky Taylor is struggling with his wrist. Jahmal Burroughs will almost certainly not play with his pulled hamstring. Z Mason has a hurt knee, and has a 50/50 chance of playing on Thursday night.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. Will Z Mason be able to play? If not, then the Mocs will become noticeably smaller. Drazen Zlovaric can certainly have a big game on the inside. He will need to.
--Bell. Can Keegan Bell keep the momentum going from the Georgia Southern game and stay hot.
--Sumler. He's scoring. But for a point guard, to be turning the ball over more than he is getting assists is not good. He has to play much better.
--King vs. Zlovaric. If Mason does not go, then the battle inside will be Mutombo and King vs. Zlovaric and Bryant/Stokes/Baker. That's not exactly a dream for the Mocs. If the Mocs dominate the boards again, they will be able to win. If the rebounding battle tightens up substantially, Western Carolina will be in a great position.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Sumler will continue to score, but also will continue to turn the ball over.
--The rebounding battle will go to the Mocs, but not by anywhere near the same total as in their first match-up in Chattanooga.
--Zlovaric will have a big game. Bryant will also continue to shine.
--Western Carolina 74, Mocs 69. The Mocs defense has been worse on the road and they still have not won a road game all year. Can they win this one on the road? Absolutely. This game is winnable. The Mocs really need this one bad, too. But it's just too hard to imagine winning a road game with their current state of mind and the psyche of the team.
GO MOCS!
The Mocs suffered a "dagger" or "stake to the heart" last Saturday night against Georgia Southern. Is there any life left in the Mocs at this point? Do they have anything left to put into the season?
They Catamounts have lost six straight games to D1 teams, and 8 of 9 against D1 competition. Can they get their act back together in time for this game?
So which team has anything left in the tank? Which team has life left in them? Which team is going to show up and get out of the cellar?
In the last six games, Trey Sumler has averaged 17.7 points per game, scoring 18 three times, 22 once, 17 once, and 13 in their most recent game. The problem is that during that time, Sumler has turned the ball over four times per game with just 3.3 assists per game. He is also avearaging 4.5 rebounds per game and two steals per game.
Harouna Mutombo is averaging 12.7 points per game for the year along with 5.8 rebounds per game. Mutombo is averaging just 10.2 points per game in the last ten games when the Catamounts have won just two games. If the 17 point performance against Davidson is taken out, Mutombo is scoring just 8.3 points per game in that nine game stretch.
Keaton Cole is averaging 11.3 points per game and Brandon Boggs is scoring 10.2 points per game. Tawaski King is second on the team in rebounding with 4.8 rebounds per game. The problem for the Catamounts is that they just don't rebound the ball well. They are not big on the inside. The Mocs totally dominated the boards in their first match-up. It also was the last game before Keegan Bell's slump started. He had eight points and twelve assists.
Omar Wattad is still battling through his back injury, while Ricky Taylor is struggling with his wrist. Jahmal Burroughs will almost certainly not play with his pulled hamstring. Z Mason has a hurt knee, and has a 50/50 chance of playing on Thursday night.
KEYS TO THE GAME
--Rebounding. Will Z Mason be able to play? If not, then the Mocs will become noticeably smaller. Drazen Zlovaric can certainly have a big game on the inside. He will need to.
--Bell. Can Keegan Bell keep the momentum going from the Georgia Southern game and stay hot.
--Sumler. He's scoring. But for a point guard, to be turning the ball over more than he is getting assists is not good. He has to play much better.
--King vs. Zlovaric. If Mason does not go, then the battle inside will be Mutombo and King vs. Zlovaric and Bryant/Stokes/Baker. That's not exactly a dream for the Mocs. If the Mocs dominate the boards again, they will be able to win. If the rebounding battle tightens up substantially, Western Carolina will be in a great position.
LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS THAT ARE SURE TO GO WRONG
--Sumler will continue to score, but also will continue to turn the ball over.
--The rebounding battle will go to the Mocs, but not by anywhere near the same total as in their first match-up in Chattanooga.
--Zlovaric will have a big game. Bryant will also continue to shine.
--Western Carolina 74, Mocs 69. The Mocs defense has been worse on the road and they still have not won a road game all year. Can they win this one on the road? Absolutely. This game is winnable. The Mocs really need this one bad, too. But it's just too hard to imagine winning a road game with their current state of mind and the psyche of the team.
GO MOCS!
SoCon Monster Game of the Week Recap- Davidson 71, Furman 53
Davidson still did not shoot the ball particularly well, shooting just over 40% from the field and 16.7% from three point range. So how did they win the game?
The Wildcats shot twelve threes out their 57 shots. They figured out that they should not shoot the three when they are not falling. It took them a couple of games, but they finally figured out how to get shots inside, even if they are not hitting threes.
Furman only shot 34% from the field. Charlie Reddick was the only Paladin to score in double figures, with thirteen points. Brandon Sebirumbi scored eight points, and was the second leading scorer. That's not good. Sebirumbi also collected eight rebounds.
De'Mon Brooks poured in nineteen points and Jake Cohen collected eight rebounds as well.
Furman is not a great offensive team. It showed up again in this one. The Paladins simply do not have the ability to score enough points to be able to win a bunch of games in the SoCon Tournament. They have great defensive ability, which is nice, but without the offensive punch, they just can't be expected to win.
Davidson, on the other hand, has righted the ship from their loss to Samford. They will take on Chattanooga Saturday night at home. Davidson has a two game lead on Wofford for the division lead. That's huge at this point. A win next week against Wofford would virtually put the division away, since they already beat the Terriers once. Davidson looked much better, but they need to keep on rolling when they come home. Davidson is on the very fringe of the bubble discussion. This performance certainly kept them there.
The Wildcats shot twelve threes out their 57 shots. They figured out that they should not shoot the three when they are not falling. It took them a couple of games, but they finally figured out how to get shots inside, even if they are not hitting threes.
Furman only shot 34% from the field. Charlie Reddick was the only Paladin to score in double figures, with thirteen points. Brandon Sebirumbi scored eight points, and was the second leading scorer. That's not good. Sebirumbi also collected eight rebounds.
De'Mon Brooks poured in nineteen points and Jake Cohen collected eight rebounds as well.
Furman is not a great offensive team. It showed up again in this one. The Paladins simply do not have the ability to score enough points to be able to win a bunch of games in the SoCon Tournament. They have great defensive ability, which is nice, but without the offensive punch, they just can't be expected to win.
Davidson, on the other hand, has righted the ship from their loss to Samford. They will take on Chattanooga Saturday night at home. Davidson has a two game lead on Wofford for the division lead. That's huge at this point. A win next week against Wofford would virtually put the division away, since they already beat the Terriers once. Davidson looked much better, but they need to keep on rolling when they come home. Davidson is on the very fringe of the bubble discussion. This performance certainly kept them there.
Double Dribbles- 2-1-12
1) Derrell Armstrong won his second consecutive SoCon Player of the Week for the UNCG Spartans. He poured home 50 points in their two wins. He averaged 25 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. He continues to have magnificent games. Armstrong 40 points in the second half and overtime against Appalachian State and Western Carolina. If the Spartans are going to continue on their current hot streak, Armstrong will have to continue playing up to his present level of play.
2) College of Charleston's trip to Elon should be really interesting on Thursday. Could the Cougars win a road game at Elon? The Cougars have gotten back onto the right track with their performance at Samford on Monday night. Can they turn around and come up with another road win over the Phoenix on Thursday night? This is critical for both teams. If Elon wants to get a bye, they need to keep on winning. If the Cougars want to get out of fifth in the South, they need to start winning consistently again. This should be a really interesting and fun game. It's the biggest and best game of Thursday night.
2) College of Charleston's trip to Elon should be really interesting on Thursday. Could the Cougars win a road game at Elon? The Cougars have gotten back onto the right track with their performance at Samford on Monday night. Can they turn around and come up with another road win over the Phoenix on Thursday night? This is critical for both teams. If Elon wants to get a bye, they need to keep on winning. If the Cougars want to get out of fifth in the South, they need to start winning consistently again. This should be a really interesting and fun game. It's the biggest and best game of Thursday night.
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